Looking back
by Jaguarin
Summary: An alternative world where Barbara could walk and take care of a stubborn Helena after her mother was murdered.
1. Chapter 1

**All right, this is not a slash fic, it's a fic in an alternative world, where Barbara could walk. i hope you enjoy it...**

**Thanks to my editor as always, Nutstalker....**

**LOOKING BACK**

The blonde walked through the streets of New Gotham, admiring the tall, incredible buildings. It was the first time she had been there. It was very different from the place where she'd grown up. People walked by, in a hurry. Some had briefcases, papers bags or coats in their hands. It was a sunny day.

She's taken that bus, jumping into an adventure with no script, no story line and no idea as to where it would end. She stopped on a corner and took out a paper, unfolding it. She saw a man selling newspapers a few steps away from her and she walked toward him. She asked about the address on the paper.

He said she was close, just a few blocks ahead, and the girl kept walking. Soon, she was in front of one of the most elegant and luxurious buildings in the city, the Wayne Building. Only the Clock Tower was bigger.

She had seen her image many times in the social pages and on the financial pages of national newspapers. She knew she would find her here. She smiled, feeling excited. Finally, finally she could meet her in person.

A black, noisy motorcycle stopped in front of the building. Wow, that was a cool bike. A young woman dressed in black jumped down. She removed her helmet and a doorman walked toward her.

"Hey, John," she greeted the man.

"Good day, Mrs. Kyle."

The woman was thin, young and brunette. The teenager recognized her immediately. Yes, it was the same girl she had seen in her dreams. What was she doing there? Was it possible that they were connected?

"Where is Barbara?" the dark haired woman asked.

"In the Diamond room, everything is about to start."

"I hate these events, I don't understand why Barbara loves them," she said brushing her hair with her hands and walking inside the building.

"Have a good day."

"Thanks, keep an eye on my bike."

The blonde noticed the doorman was distracted as he took the helmet to a check room and she took the opportunity to step inside the building. It was huge inside, the lobby was enormous. She tried to find the brunette, where had she gone? She noticed her waving at some other employees and was stepping inside an elevator. Her eyes found an electronic board to her left.

Foundation Event – Diamond room – Floor 25.

She hurried to the next elevator and pressed button for the twenty-fifth floor.

She arrived in an elegant room filled with tables and many people. It seemed that this was a big event. Her eyes found the brunette walking between the tables towards the front of the room.

"Your invitation, madam?" a man asked.

"I came with Mrs. Kyle," she hurried to say, pointing at the woman. Maybe it would work. "She told me I can wait for her until the event is over, you know, the speech and all those things…"

"Oh…" the man said. "Do you want me to take you to her table?"

"No, no… I told her I will wait for her here."

"I can give you a seat at one of the back tables."

"Yes, thanks."

Helena Kyle was a beautiful young woman known for helping Barbara Gordon, the head of the Wayne Foundation, in her charity events to support kids. She was Selina's Kyle daughter. Selina had once been involved romantically with the owner of the foundation, Bruce Wayne.

Many gossip newspapers and magazines still speculated about whether or not she was the daughter of Bruce Wayne. That pissed off the dark haired woman who, to avoid any kind of comments or more gossip, had refused to receive money or accept a job from the foundation or any of Wayne's corporations. She worked as bartender at the Dark Horse Bar.

For the same reason, she hated public events like this one, but she liked to support Barbara in her effort to help children around the world.

She found Barbara standing close to the podium, checking some notes.

"Hi," she greeted.

"Finally," Barbara mumbled, "I was wondering where you were."

"Nice to see you too," Helena said.

The redhead looked at her. "A black leather jacket? Do you think that is proper attire for an important meal?"

"Well," Helena said, waving her hand to some people seated a few tables away from them. "I think it's cool and, by the way, some men were looking at me."

"Well, I hope it looks cool in the pictures when you give the speech."

"I don't give speeches. I'm just the fashion accessory for your main events. You are the business side and you do the speech thing."

"Whatever," Barbara gave her some papers "Remember to be nice, polite and I promise to lend you my red leather jacket."

"Deal." Helena grinned. "Where is our table?"

"There." Barbara pointed to a table with the pen in her hand.

Helena winced. Many boring people there, and that guy that flirted with her every time he could, but was an asshole.

"How could you invite that guy to our table? Just because he is a gazillionaire?" she asked.

"Your detective instinct is working well." Barbara smiled.

"Come on," the brunette whined.

"To get good things in life, sometimes you have to make sacrifices." The redhead looked at her. "My jacket is worth your sacrifice."

"All right, all right," Helena said, rolling her eyes. Well, it seemed it was going to be one of those days.

"Just finish all this quickly."

The brunette sighed and turned toward her table where the man waved at her. She gave him a forced smile.

"Come on, it's not so bad. He is cute," Barbara said, amused.

"Sleeping or unconscious, maybe."

"Go. I must start the event."

"How much did you charge per plate this time?"

"Five thousand dollars," Barbara patted her shoulder, "and he paid fifteen to have a seat close to you. So be nice, please."

"Wow." Helena opened her eyes wide. "My ass is worth a lot of money."

"It's not your ass, it's just a meal. Now go and sit."

* * *

After a few hours, Helena felt totally, completely, and incredibly bored. And more so with that man insisting on flirting with her. She thought she had earned enough points now so that Barbara would lend her the red jacket. She leaned toward the redhead.

"Time to go."

"Yes, I must go too, it's late," Barbara said, looking at her watch.

"Cool, I need to work and this guy flirting with me has tested my patience enough.." Helena stood up, followed by Barbara. She didn't like the popularity thing. That was better left to Barbara.

They said goodbye to the people at the table and walked toward the exit. Many people stood up to shake their hands.

"I did a great job," Helena said to Barbara as she smiled to an old man. "I convinced him to give you a ton of money to those orphanages in Africa. Now you have to lend me your jacket and your Armani shoes."

"The black ones?" Barbara smiled at a woman and kissed her on her cheek. "Thanks for coming."

"Yep." Helena wondered where all these people had come from. She thought it would be a fast exit and now it seemed it would take a bit longer.

"No way." Barbara waved her hand to a familiar person a few tables away.

"Two million…" Helena sang.

Green eyes turned to look at the brunette in surprise. "You're kidding."

"Nope." The girl smiled at the woman shaking her hand.

"All right," the redhead smiled, "but just one night."

"Two…"

"Okay, okay."

"Cool." The brunette grinned.

Barbara extended her hand to a blonde teenager and smiled at her. The blonde girl held her hand for long seconds smiling at her.

"I need to talk to you," the kid said. "13220217."

Barbara froze, feeling a chill run down her spine. That was the secret code to access the Clock Tower. She tried to speak, but people called to her and a man stood between her and the girl. She tried to step back, but there were just too many people around her. When she looked again, the kid was gone.

How did that girl know about the code?

Who was she?

* * *

The redhead arrived at ClockTower late. That meal had been long, but she had raised a significant amount money. She really needed it. But what the girl had said had left her restless all day. She needed to do some research. She threw her keys on the table and checked the mail she had picked up downstairs.

Nothing interesting. She removed her coat and dropped her bag on the table. She walked toward an elevator hidden at the bottom of her penthouse. It connected to the Clock floor where she'd built a hideout with sophisticated computers and advanced electronic systems.

When she stepped outside the elevator, she was in a huge place. She had adapted the Clock Tower into a comfortable work area with two levels that included a living room and kitchen, where she and Helena could work comfortably on their crimefighting nights.

She was greeted by her loyal and always gentle friend, Alfred, the butler of Bruce Wayne. He helped with the cleaning and cooking. The cooking was something that she definitely hadn't been born for, and Helena even less so.

"How was the event, Miss Barbara?" he asked.

"Fantastic, I raised a lot more than I expected," she said walking toward the platform, "I think we can do some good work in Africa now."

"Thank my ass for that two million!" Helena shouted from upstairs.

The redhead lifted her head as she sat on a chair in front of her main computer. "Thank your own ass and bring it here, we have work to do. Something weird happened to me today."

"Tonight? Hello? Fashion Week in NY is on television." In an instant, Helena was at Barbara's side.

"Good. I don't want you going to buy new clothes. Your credit card needs a break." Barbara typed her password on the computer screen.

"Hey, I can't use the same outfit every time I fight against bad guys."

"Well, I don't think the 'bad guys' notice it," Alfred chuckled, stepping inside the platform with a tray of tea. "Every night you fight against different ones."

Helena rested her hip on a desk close to Barbara. "Some of them have a kind of membership with me. I have sent them to jail two or three times. It would be rude to always wear the same outfit."

"Your sense of fashion overwhelms me." Barbara opened the main window on the Delphi. "Now, when I was exiting the event, something happened. A girl took my hand and she told me she needed to talk to me and told me the access code to the Clock Tower."

"What?" Helena frowned. "How could she know it?"

"No idea, I looked for her, but she got lost in the multitude of people that were still there." The cyber genius scratched her head. "I need to find her and find out what she wants."

"Could be a serial killer."

"A serial killer is not a teen that says she wants to talk with you."

"You must watch Chucky."

Barbara ignored the comment and leaned back in her chair, playing with a pen between her fingers. "She will try to contact me, I'm sure of it."

"Well, maybe she is standing out in front of the Clock Tower waiting for you right now."

Barbara glared at her. But something made her turn to her computer and press some keys on her keyboard.

"What are you doing?" Helena asked, intrigued.

"Doing what you suggested."

"Barbara, I was joking."

The image of a teenager standing on the sidewalk in front of the Clock Tower appeared. She hadn't seen her because she had parked her car near the back entrance of the building.

"She's there." The redhead stood up. "Come on."

Helena leaned over the monitor. "Is she 'Chucky'?"

Barbara walked toward the elevator. "Stay here."

"Why can't I go with you?" Helena followed her.

"You scare people."

"That is the 'point' of being a crime fighter."

"She is just a teen." The elevator doors closed. And the elevator moved down.

"Do you remember 'Black in Men II'?" the brunette asked her mentor, ignoring the instruction to stay put. "The innocent flower on the grill? When the guy pulled it, it was not a flower, it was a hair on the head of a giant worm that was almost a half mile long."

"I don't think she will transform into a half mile long giant worm." Barbara crossed her arms and lifted an eyebrow.

"You never know. Maybe she is a cannibal."

"Maybe she eats cats, too."

"Hey, don't go there."

* * *

Dinah rubbed her arms, it was getting cold. She looked around, maybe the woman hadn't understood her message. She had known when she touched the brunette that this was their place. She had seen her pressing that number to a hidden elevator. She was sure the woman would look for her. She really needed talk with her about her dreams, about her visions.

Suddenly, the main door of the building opened and she appeared. The teenager couldn't avoid a big smile. The brunette from her dreams that she had also seen that afternoon was with her, but she stayed on the other side of the sidewalk while the older woman walked toward her.

"Hi," the girl greeted, smiling.

"Hi. Do you want talk with me?" Barbara asked, stopping in front of her. The girl didn't seem dangerous or threatening.

"Yes. Thanks." The young girl felt excited. It was not a vision, she was real. "I'm Dinah, Dinah Collins."

"Would you agree that your invitation to talk was unusual?" the redhead asked, crossing her arms.

"Yes…" the girl said shyly, "I'm sorry, but it was the only way, it's difficult to with a person like you and you would never believe me." She looked up at the redhead again and her face lit up.

"You are like in my dream."

Barbara narrowed her eyes. "What dream?"

"I saw you in my dream, and her…" she moved her hand toward Helena, who was ready to pounce on her if she tried to touch a hair on Barbara's head.

"Did you see us in your dreams?"

"Yes." The teen nodded. "When I was a child, I saw you. I saw a man with his face painted in white, he shot you and… she, she was younger, and she was crying over a woman lying on the ground. I had the same dream over and over for years.

Something pushed me to come here and look for you."

Barbara bit her lips, analyzing the girl's story. It seemed the girl had developed special skills. She surely was a meta. "And how did you know about the code?"

"When I touched your hand," Dinah said quietly, looking at her shoes.

Barbara's eyebrows shot up. That was an interesting confession. The teenager didn't seem to know she was metahuman "Can you read minds when you touch people?"

The teen looked up. "Yes… When I touched your hand, I saw this place, I knew I would find you here."

"Your parents know about this?"

"I don't have parents." The girl lowered her head again. She took a deep breath. "I don't have anywhere to go. I traveled all night by bus just to find you."

"Why do you want talk with me?" Barbara asked her.

"I think you can help me." The teenager nervously moved a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Help you? Help you how?"

"My dreams sent me to you. There must be a reason. I thought maybe you could figure it out… I know you are a very important person and that you are busy, but I thought…"

Barbara touched her chin thoughtfully, as she observed the girl. "When did the dream start?"

"When I was a child, maybe five or six years old." The blonde lowered her head "I don't want scare you, people always look at me as if I'm weird and think I'm freak…"

"Avoid that word…" Barbara gazed at Helena. "It's not exactly her favorite word. Have you eaten anything today?"

The girl shook her head.

"Wait here a moment," Barbara said, turning to walk toward the building.

Dinah nodded.

The brunette felt impatient. She was tapping her foot. She noticed the redhead coming towards her.

"What did Chucky say?" she asked.

"I think she is meta," Barbara said with her arms crossed, looking at the ground for a few seconds before facing her partner, "and she doesn't know it."

"What does she want?" Helena asked.

"I don't think she knows exactly, she just knew she needed to find us."

"Us? As in you and me?"

"I told you she might eat cats." Barbara chewed at her lower lip.

"Why did she need to find us?" The brunette glared in the girl's direction.

"She may be telepathic, and she has visions. In some of her visions, she saw you and me. She doesn't have any family, her friends think she is weird, and she traveled all night to find us. It's late, it's cold, she hasn't eaten…"

"What are you going to do?" Helena asked suspiciously, having a pretty good idea of what Barbara had in mind.

"First, invite her to dinner, then run some tests on her to check her skills."

"Barbara…tell me you are kidding."

"No," Barbara said seriously.

"What if Chucky takes a knife and stabs you?" Helena growled.

"Helena, don't be silly. She could get inside the Tower without us. She knew how to get inside! She is just a kid!"

"No, no, definitely no." the brunette shook her head.

Barbara waved her hand to the girl, who smiled and ran toward them.

"Perhaps I didn't express myself well," Helena said.

"Be polite, please," Barbara said.

"I don't usually welcome possible murderers."

The blonde stood close to them.

Barbara put her hand over the kid's shoulder. "Helena, this is Dinah…"

"Hi, nice to meet you." The blonde shook the brunette's hand effusively. Many images flowed inside Dinah's mind: Helena jumping between rooftops, fighting in the street.

Helena jerked her hand away at the same time as Dinah.

"Hey!" she shouted.

"I'm sorry…" the teenager mumbled.

"What happened?" Barbara asked.

"She was inside my head!" the brunette accused.

"I'm sorry," Dinah apologized. "I didn't mean to, it's just that I can't control it..."

"Do you lurk inside everybody's heads?"

"All right, all right." Barbara waved her hands, stopping the verbal war that seemed to be erupting. "Come with us, I'd like run some tests on you."

Helena stared at the redhead.

Barbara ignored her and pushed the girl inside gently.

The brunette rolled her eyes and followed her.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	2. Chucky in Home

**Thanks for all your nice comments and post!!! Night and I are very happy with all of it!!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 2**

**CHUCKY IN HOME**

Dinah finished her fifth pizza slice after Barbara had scanned her brain.

The redhead sat in the living room of her apartment and analyzed the results on her laptop. Helena glared at the teen, as she sat on the couch next to the redhead. She still could not understand how the older woman could let a stranger into her apartment. At least she hadn't taken her up to the Clock Tower.

"I saw you two do amazing things," Dinah said, licking her fingers. "Are you superheroes?"

"To hell with the secret identity thing." Helena grumbled in a low voice.

"You saw what?" Barbara turned her head to look at the blonde.

"When I touched Helena… well," the teenager lowered her head "when I touched you I saw it too, fighting? Working in a cool place with computers and big equipment?"

"Oh…" Barbara moved her head, for some reason the girl's comment didn't surprise her. It was obvious it would happen.

"I'll never let you touch me again," Helena growled at the blonde.

"Hel…" Barbara warned.

"What if she picks up some of my party nights?" the brunette said.

"Your 'wild' party nights," Barbara corrected, lowering her eyeglasses to look her straight in her eyes "You are right, that would mean perverting a minor."

"They are not wild. They are…" Helena paused, waving one of her hands in circles,

"…animated, unexpected, happy…"

"…and wild." Barbara lifted her eyebrow.

"Well… just, just a bit, but not much…"

"What does that thing that you put on my head do, exactly? Dinah asked, taking another slice of pizza.

"Well," Barbara scratched her nose and looked again at the screen of her laptop, "it tells me if there's any biological evidence of the abilities you say you have -- in other words, if you're meta-human."

"Meta what?" Dinah asked.

"Don't talk with your mouth full." The redhead sighed, in some things, all the teenagers were the same. It was a bad habit that Helena still had, too.

"Oh… sorry…" the blonde covered her mouth.

"In most people, less than five percent of their neural cells are active. Your cerebral-cortex activity is ..." the computer beeped. Barbara looked at the results and paused. "... Over fifty percent."

"So it's true," the kid sighed "--I'm officially a Freak."

"Hey, watch it with the "F" word." Helena growled, drinking from her can of soda.

"There are people in the world, Dinah -- a lot of people -- with abilities beyond what we think of as human." Barbara stood up and put her laptop on the couch. "Um, not too many humans have the same gifts. Don't ask me where the powers come from. No one knows. Natural mutations, biological experiments –"

"There's been some weird stuff from meteor showers," Helena added.

"So there are others like me?" Dinah asked.

"Yes, there are people that have special skills like you." Barbara smiled at the teenager, understanding how difficult things had been for her. "The point is, you're one of a long line of people who had to hide what they are."

"Why?"

"People don't understand what a meta human is and feel afraid of them, of people like you…" Barbara said smiling, gently. "There are many people like you."

"So, I'm like you?" Dinah asked, hopefully.

"Uh," Barbara scratched her head "like Helena, technically. I'm not meta-human."

"But you're both heroes and you save people." .

Reluctantly, the redhead accepted that fact. "Right…."

"I want to join!" Dinah said happily.

" What?" the brunette almost choked on her soda.

"No." Barbara waved her hands, "Wait…"

"Why not?" the teen looked at them.

"Sorry," Helena said, standing up and wiping her pants with a napkin, "we don't have an opening for junior supergirl."

"You can't stay here," the redhead tried to explain. "You have to go home."

"Do you honestly think I'd get on a bus and come to a city where I didn't know a soul, with no money and no job, if I had a place to go back to?" she sighed and shook her head. "I mean, I came to New Gotham looking for something, and I didn't even know what it was, but now I do."

"Now you do?" Helena made a face.

"My dreams brought me here."

Helena lifted her hand and made a sign to the redhead "Can I talk to you ... now?"

Barbara glanced back at Dinah and asked with her hand to wait a few minutes. She walked toward the kitchen where Helena had gone.

"She is not a meta human," the brunette whispered to the cyber vigilante. "She is out of her mind."

"She is confused," Barbara said, taking a deep breath.

"You can't seriously be considering this." Helena crossed her arms.

Barbara looked at Dinah thoughtfully and mumbled, "A few hundred years ago, a girl like that would have been burned at the stake."

"Yeah, she's freaking me out right now." Helena exclaimed in low voice extending her arms, "What if you let her sleep here tonight and she gets up at midnight when you are showering and she stabs you?"

"Has it occurred to you that you watch too many horror movies?" Barbara put her hands on her hips.

"I'm worried about you."

"It's just one night, Helena. One."

The girl shook her head.

"I remember another girl with no place to go who fell asleep on that couch," Barbara reminded her.

Angry, the brunette lifter her index, "Don't…"

"Please… Tomorrow she will be calmer and we can talk with her. She doesn't have anywhere to go."

Helena closed her eyes, she hated that Barbara had such a big heart. She easily was moved by such sad stories. She might as well have had the word "sucker" tattooed to her forehead.

"No, Barbara. Definitely no… and no. And no again."

* * *

The redhead tried to read her book. Usually she could easily concentrate, but with such movement in her room, it was impossible and, besides, she was exhausted. It had been a long day and she had several meetings the next day. She lowered her book and removed her eyeglasses to pinch the bridge of her nose, trying to remain calm.

"Helena," she said looking at the brunette, "Don't you think this is a little ridiculous?"

"I'm okay." Helena hit her pillow a few times. The brunette was trying to make herself comfortable on the small couch that was in the redhead's room, because the couch in the living room was occupied by Dinah. Her old room was now a study with no beds. Definitely, she would buy another bed tomorrow and put it inside that room. One never knew when it would be useful.

"I'm sure that Dinah is not going to show up at midnight to kill me." Barbara crossed her arms.

"You never know," Helena said, lying on the couch. Crap, her feet were hanging off the couch.

"I think she is a sweet girl that has always been tormented for her extraordinary gifts. Furthermore, I resent the ongoing implication that I can't take care of myself. I was Batgirl, you know."

"What do you have in mind exactly, Barbara?" Helena asked, ignoring the protest. She rested her head on the pillow and stared to the ceiling.

"Investigate her." Barbara lay down on her bed and covered herself with the blankets "If she is telling me the truth, then she needs help. I programmed Delphi. Now, it's doing research with the information I have about her. It's really interesting her dreams have guided her to us."

"To you, I'll pass." The brunette moved on the couch to her side. It really was uncomfortable. "Suppose she is telling the truth. What are you going to do?"

"Help her." Barbara said, covering her eyes with her left arm. She felt so tired, she just wanted close her eyes and sleep.

"How? Will you create a Meta-Human Help Foundation?" Helena moved to her knees and changed her position on the couch "People will think you are crazy."

"I can guide her and show her how to use her powers, as I did with you…" Barbara paused. "But after seeing you, I'm not sure if I do good work."

"Ha, ha, very funny." The younger woman rested her head on the pillow again.

"Are you finished?" Barbara lifted her head to look at the brunette. "May I turn off the light?"

"I'm ready, turn it off."

"Good night and don't snore." The redhead turned off the light and the room was dark in an instant. She leaned back on her mattress, it was perfect.

"I don't snore." Helena's voice was heard.

"You do." Barbara said, turning on her side and hugging her pillow.

"No."

"Of course you do." Barbara pointed out in the darkness.

"How do you know I snore?" the brunette asked indignantly.

"Because you live here."

"I don't…" Helena was quiet for a moment. "Well, I like to be here sometimes. Is that a problem for you?"

"Of course not," Barbara said, feeling sleep claim her, "but I don't understand why you took out your bed. You wouldn't have to sleep on the couch every time that you stay here."

"That couch is great to sleep on. I can't understand why you let her sleep there, knowing it's my favorite place."

"Because you must go to sleep to your place, not here. Now, could you please shut up and sleep?"

"I'm trying but this pillow is hard."

Suddenly, a pillow hit the brunette's head with strength, she was going to protest, but she felt it was softer.

"Hey, thanks!" she said.

"Anything to help you keep your mouth closed."

The brunette covered herself with a soft blanket and closed her eyes, trying to keep her senses alert. If that girl was going to attack them while they were sleeping, she would be ready for anything.

"Barbara?" Helena's voice was heard again in the darkness.

"What?" the redhead mumbled, mentally cursing the brunette.

"Did you lock your room?"

"Is that important? I have zillions of alarms surrounding this place."

"Chucky is in the living room. Did you lock it?"

"Her name is Dinah and, no, I didn't lock my room," Barbara grumbled, annoyed.

"Don't get up, I'll lock it," Helena said.

"I was not planning to do it." Barbara heard the sound of Helena moving her blankets. Why couldn't she just shut up and sleep?

After a few seconds, she heard the sound of Helena's sheets. Finally, now she could sleep. She let her body relax.

"Did you lock the windows?" Helena asked, suddenly.

Barbara sat up in bed, glaring in the brunette's direction. She was sure that with her night vision, she could see her clearly.

"I swear, Helena, if you don't shut up and go to sleep, I'll kick your ass out of my room," she growled.

"Hey, I'm protecting your life."

"Better protect your ass. Helena, go to sleep, dammit!" Furious, the redhead slammed her head down and put a second pillow on top of her head.

"What a mood. Work is making you grumpy."

* * *

"Miss Barbara," Alfred started pouring a warm cup of coffee in the redhead's mug. "You look tired."

"A cat was mewling at my window all night," she said, yawning.

"Maybe you are working too much."

"I must buy a bed today," Barbara said, taking a bit of scrambled egg on her fork. "I'll send some guys over at noon to help you to organize Helena's old bedroom and get the new bed in."

"And all this commotion is for…?"

"Long story," she said eating her egg and looking at him. She watched him open a bag of flour. "What are you doing?"

"Miss Helena asked me to make some brownies."

"You spoil her too much." Barbara smiled.

"Sometimes a hero needs a bit of spoiling… and sugar of course." Alfred chuckled.

"She is hyperactive enough, the last thing that girl needs is more sugar."

"I'm glad to see she is more involved in the foundation."

"Yes, she needed a push at the beginning, but afterwards she saw what we are doing to support kids. She doesn't protest when I ask her for help. Maybe she doesn't want to accept a penny of Bruce's, but at least she agreed to help with the charity events. People like to see her, she has magnetism."

"You have a lot of magnetism too," the gentle butler said, cracking some eggs into a bowl "Kids love you."

Barbara sipped her coffee. "Yes, but you know that young people identify most easily with young people. And it helps her control her anger. She is still so closed off, but I hope that her contact with children helps her to open up a bit more."

"I remember it was difficult to involve her in your work at the foundation."

"Yes, but once she met some of the kids we are helping, her 'iron mask' melted."

Alfred chuckled walked outside the platform. "She loves children."

"Yes, much more than me, and everybody says I'm the maternal one," Barbara said, wiping her mouth. She looked at her watch, it was late. "I have a meeting. I have my doubts about buying some powdered milk to send to central America. Oh! We have a new visitor. Her name is Dinah, please help her."

"The girl on the couch?" he asked.

"Exactly," the redhead said, standing up. "When she is ready call me. I'll send a limo for her, we still need to talk."

"Sure."

"And, please, try to keep Helena from annoying her. You know how she gets jealous; she loves being the only child in this house."

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	3. Knowing our visitor

The teenager marveled at the size of the place, many people walked through the elegant corridors, paper in hand. More people were at their desks, talking by phone or working at their computers.

She followed a tall woman who walked in front of her until they arrived at a main lobby. The sign on the wall identified the area as the corporate offices of the Wayne Foundation. She stood up in the middle of the reception room, which had a big window where she could see almost the entire city.

The Clock Tower was visible ahead. It looked incredibly big. She really liked this city.

"Miss Dinah," a voice behind her said. She turned and noticed the woman had a door opened. "Please…"

The blonde smiled and walked inside.

The door closed behind her, it was Barbara's office. It was not as big as she had expected, but it was nice and warm. The redhead was talking on the phone. She waved her hand, inviting the teen to sit. Dinah obeyed.

"Yes, please, send it immediately. I would really appreciate it if you could send it today. Charge it to my credit card."

After a few seconds, Barbara hung up the phone.

"Sorry," she said, "I was buying a bed."

"Oh… yours is old?"

"Let's just say I have a noisy cat that doesn't let me sleep at night." Barbara put her elbow on the desk and rested her chin on her fist. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes."

"I'm glad. I hope you are rested."

"Yes." She looked around. "This place is fantastic. Does Helena works here too?"

"No, she works in a bar."

"A bar?"

"She is a bartender."

"Ohh… I thought she was Bruce Wayne daughter, the newspapers talk about it."

Barbara leaned back in her chair playing with a pen between her fingers. "She has some issues with Wayne family money. She prefers to work on her own."

"But I saw that she helps you in your work here at the foundation. She was with you yesterday," Dinah said, curious.

"She helps me with the fundraising events, but she prefers to keep her distance. Now, let's talk about you. What's your name?"

"Dinah…"

"I mean your last name. Yesterday, you said it was Collins."

"Well… I…."

"I couldn't find anything under that name, Dinah Redmond."

Blue eyes opened big and blinked in surprise. The redhead lifted a paper from her desk.

"Seventeen years old, born in Opal, Missouri. You are not an orphan, you have foster parents…"

The blonde's face turned sad. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to lie to you, but I was scared."

"Scared of what?" Barbara let the paper fall to the desk.

"My foster parents taught me to be ashamed of what I was, never to tell anyone..." Dinah explained "to hide it. I thought so many times that I was a monster."

Barbara looked at the teenager. "Where are your foster parents now?"

"Opal." The teenager lowered her face.

"They don't know you are here?" Barbara said.

The girl shook her head.

"They must be looking for you. Surely, they are worried about you, Dinah."

"No, they were afraid of me. They said I was a freak. They ordered me to hide my visions," she lifted her gaze to the redhead. "And I tried, I swear it, Barbara, I tried to hide my visions, to not see what I was seeing… I thought it was bad and I thought If I could stop it, my parents would love me. I tried so hard…" the teenager's eyes turned moist, "but then, when I couldn't hide it anymore, they were gonna take me somewhere -- somewhere to make my powers stop and I ran away, I was so scared… I'm so scared."

Barbara observed her in silence. Dinah put her hand on the desk and played with the corner of a paper that was close to her.

"Maybe I'm a freak, my mom left me when I was a child."

"You are not a freak," Barbara said, extending her hand to touch the teenager's. "You are a girl with a wonderful gift."

"Then why do I have to hide from normal people?"

"Because they don't understand what a meta-human is. People are afraid of the things they don't understand. It's impossible to say at which point of the human evolution meta-humans started to exist and why. Not knowing and not understanding the answers to those questions made people afraid of them."

"How do you know so much about meta-humans, Barbara?"

"I have many meta-humans friends." The older woman smiled gently. "They are like humans, there are good and bad humans, there are good and bad meta-humans. Now, tell me, is there anything else I should know or do you want…" she lifted the paper from her desk "me to keep reading?"

"I just hid the thing about my foster parents and my name," Dinah said nervously. "Really, I promise, but it was because I don't want to go back with them. They want send me to that place and want me to hide what I am."

"Dinah, you can't stay with me, you must understand that."

"Why not?"

Barbara sighed. "I can't… I can't take care of you."

"You don't have to. I can take care of myself, I promise to study hard and get a job after school and…"

"Dinah, please." Barbara lifted her hand, asking her stop. "Look, I don't want to discuss this now. I have some meetings. I just wanted to ask you the truth about where you came from, you must understand that I can't take care of every stranger that knocks at my door."

"But that is what you do…" the teenager mumbled fixing her pale blue eyes on her, "It's what you are."

Opening her mouth, Barbara couldn't find the words to answer her. She shook her head. On one hand, she understood the fear of the girl and her feelings, but on the other one, she couldn't be responsible for a teenager that she barely knew.

"Dinah, let's do something," she leaned over her desk and looked her straight in her eyes, taking the blonde's hand in her own. "You have all my support, I'm not going to leave you alone, I want you to understand that, all right?"

The teen nodded.

"But tonight we must call your foster parents."

"Barbara…."

"I said, you get all my support, I'm not going to let anyone try to hurt you. Give me your word that you won't try to run away or escape and that we will talk with them tonight. After that, together, you and I will make a decision. You are touching my hand, you know I'm not lying. Do you agree?"

Dinah looked at their hands a few seconds before lifting her eyes to the redhead and nodding.

"Good, now don't worry, everything will be fine. We will find a way that makes you happy."

The blonde smiled.

"Excellent." Barbara stood up. "Listen, I need to work now, I need to check on some buys before authorizing them. Would you like a tour of the offices?"

"Yeah." The girl stood up.

"Excellent," Barbara put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll have my assistant give you a tour. What do you think if we have lunch together? I know a great restaurant nearby."

"Oh yes."

"I'll see you around noon, then."

The redhead opened the door. There was a woman with long blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail standing close to her assistant.

"Dinah, Carol is my assistant," Barbara said and waved toward the other woman, "And this is Jackie, my purchasing manager. Both have been with me since the beginning of my tenure at the foundation.""

"Hi…" When the teenager shook Jackie's hand, she seemed to be disturbed.

Barbara noticed it and wrapped an arm around the girl to pull her against her, causing her to release the hand of the blonde woman. "Take care of her, Carol."

The blonde blinked and nodded, looking at Jackie .

"Come with me, Dinah." Carol smiled at her

"Well, let's work." Barbara said to Jackie, as they walked into the office.

"I brought you the papers so we can send the powdered milk…"

"I can't approve it," Barbara said standing up in front of her desk and looking for a file.

"But I accepted the…"

"Jackie, this powdered milk is not good quality, it's a bad product." She showed her a file. "I sent a sample to be analyzed and no, I don't approve it. Look at this report."

"Barbara," Jackie mumbled "I accepted the product, I think…"

"Send it back," the redhead interrupted, "Call the supplier. Now, let's see the other notes."

The blonde nodded, irritated.

* * *

Dinah ate her salad while Barbara wipeded her mouth with her napkin. They were having lunch in an open restaurant close Wayne's Building. The redhead observed the girl carefully.

"Did you have a good day?"

"Yes." The teenager smiled, "That place is cool. There are thousands of offices and that big restaurant at the top."

Barbara smiled. "Yes, in that building there are many offices of Wayne Industries, as well as some meeting rooms and the room that you already know is used for big events."

"Your assistant showed me everything, even the art museum, it's incredible."

"We want to give something back to the community. In that museum, we collect art from new talents and some familiar old ones." She sipped water from her glass and paused. "Dinah, I want to ask you something…"

"Sure."

"What did you see when you touched Jackie?"

The blonde lowered her head. "Nothing…"

"Nothing? I saw your face." The redhead lifted her eyebrow.

"I just… feel so bad when I'm inside people's mind…"

"Are you sure?" Barbara asked. "I thought for a moment you didn't like her."

"Well, sometimes I pink up things…" Dinah said shyly.

"And what did you pick up?" Barbara finished her salad and cleaned her mouth.

"I couldn't understand… it was business… and I didn't understand it."

"Jackie has been working at the Foundation with me since six years ago. She is my left hand."

"Don't you mean your right hand?" Dinah asked.

"My left," Barbara smiled. "Carol is my right hand, they are very close to me and I trust them both so much."

The teenager looked at her with an incredulous face.

Barbara narrowed her eyes.

"Something wrong Dinah?" she asked.

"No…" the girl shook her head. "I'm just tired I think, it's been an emotional day."

The redhead had the feeling she was lying, but she didn't want push too much. Maybe she had seen a personal matter.

"If you want, I can ask my chauffer to give you a ride to the Tower," the older woman suggested.

"That would be great."

"All right, and remember, tonight, we must call your foster parents." She scratched her nose. "Alfred prepared the guest room for you. You will sleep much better tonight. I already bought a new bed."

"Why?"

"I needed one," Barbara waved her hand, "Helena stays at the Clock Tower often and she snores so much."

"Barbara…." Dinah looked at her. "When I touched you and Helena…."

"Yes?" the redhead lifted her hand to ask for coffee.

"I saw a huge place, with many codes and computers and cameras… Is that were you work as….?"

Barbara raised her hand, asking her stop. "Avoid this discussion in public, please."

"Sorry…"

"It's safety."

"I understand."

"We will discuss this at home, okay?"

"Yes."

* * *

"What? Chucky is still here?" Helena asked, surprised to see the redhead at the time that she stepped inside the elevator that would take her and Barbara to the penthouse of Clock Tower.

"Her name is Dinah and yes," Barbara nodded, adjusting her long coat, briefcase in hand. "She is still there."

"It's dangerous that she's there. How can we patrol tonight? She could discover…"

"She already knows."

"Did you tell her?" Helena almost shouted, pressing a button on the elevator.

"Of course not," the redhead sighed, "but she read minds, remember? She touched you and she touched me."

"That girl is dangerous," the younger woman growled.

"Don't worry, she briefly touched you, I don't think she saw your sex life."

Helena glared at the redhead. She was going to open her mouth when Barbara lifted her hand.

"I know you," Barbara said, "no excuses. Now, could you please be polite tonight? Because I assume you will stay again."

"You assume well. But I want the couch."

"The couch is yours," Barbara smiled to herself, "but only if you promise to be nice to Dinah."

"Really?" the brunette opened her eyes wide.

"Really. All yours."

"All right. I accept, but…Chucky? Where she will sleep?"

"Chucky will sleep in the guest room." The redhead checked the numbers that were indicating on which floor they were.

"But it doesn't have a bed."

"Now it has one."

"What?"

The elevator doors opened and Barbara stepped outside.

"I bought one. Now, behave, you promised."

"You cheated!" Helena pointed at her with her finger and followed her.

"No, you asked for the couch, the couch is yours."

"Hi, Barbara." Dinah greeted, standing up. She was sitting in the living room, reading a book. "Hi Helena, how are you?"

"Read my mind," the brunette said and almost immediately jumped around, holding her foot when Barbara stepped on her shoe with the heel of her boot.

"Don't listen to her. Did you rest?"

Barbara put her briefcase on the couch and removed her coat while Helena kept hopping, holding her foot. Dinah watched her, but wisely chose not to ask what was going on.

"Yes, thanks, the room is very nice."

"Glad you like it," Barbara said, sitting on the couch. A beep coming from her waist distracted their attention. She read the message. "Delphi alert."

"Let's go to work," Helena said.

"May I go?" Dinah asked.

"Dinah…" Barbara sighed.

"I already know about it. I saw it… it's big and is close to the mechanism of the clock, it has two floors and…"

"Don't look at me," Helena said, waving her hands. "She's your guest."

"You always are so helpful." The older woman rolled her eyes. "All right, come with me and while Helena works, we will call your parents."

**TO BE CONTINUED....**


	4. Dinah Redmond

She felt sore, her entire body hurt. Well, after fighting against ten gorilla sized thugs, escaping a big explosion, and jumping ten floors to run away from building in flames was not a piece of cake and less so if you fell in a trash container.

"Are you okay?" Barbara asked her as soon as she stepped outside the elevator. Almost immediately, she took a step back and covered her nose.

Dinah, who walked close to her made a face. "Eww… What happened to you?"

"You need to clean your trash containers more often," Helena growled, cleaning the sleeves of her coat.

"You need a shower," Dinah said, waving her hand in front of her nose.

"You don't have to tell me, genius."

"Miss Helena, I would really appreciate it if you keep your trash far from my floor," Alfred said stepping toward hers with a broom and a plastic bag.

"I would really appreciate a warmer welcome next time. I'm doing the superhero thing outside," Helena said, removing her shoes and putting them inside the plastic bag Alfred gave her. "Any ideas about who could be?"

"No," Barbara shook her head, "I still don't know who would want to burn the Foundation's storage facilities. Was the damage serious?"

"Just one building…" Helena noticed Alfred picking up the bag with her shoes. "Hey Alfred! Don't you dare throw that in the trash!"

"I was thinking of a better idea… perhaps burning it."

"Give me my shoes back!" Helena followed him.

Barbara tapped her chin.

Dinah watched her.

"Could it be someone inside the foundation?" the teenager asked.

"I don't think so. I trust all my people and in those storages…" she narrowed her eyes and lifted her head to look at Helena, who was bringing back the plastic bag with her shoes, "Helena, what was inside the storage building that burned?"

"Powdered milk."

"Powdered milk?" The odor of rank garbage assaulted Barbara's senses again and she covered her nose.

"Yes."

"Go take a shower while I do some research here."

"Keep him away from my clothes." She pointed at Alfred.

"Just go take a shower, your smell is filling the whole place." Barbara moved her head and walked back toward the Delphi. Dinah followed her. "And use guest bathroom! I don't want my shower all messed up."

"Yea, yea…."

The redhead smiled lightly, watching her go. She looked at the blonde next to her and put her hand on her arm.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly, remembering the earlier conversation with her foster parents.

_We are not interested in having her here anymore,. her foster father had said._

"_Excuse me?" The answer surprised the crime fighter. She had called Dinah's parents to tell them she was fine and safe, saying she was from Social services._

_It was been a blessing for us that she left. She is a weird girl-- you just don't have any idea. She scares us._

"_But she…" Barbara looked at Dinah, she had the mic open._

_Look, she is not normal. I know it sounds crazy, but she really scares us. If social services sends us paperwork handing over custody to someone else, we will be pleased to sign it. We are not interested in her coming back._

_Barbara was speechless, she looked helplessly at the teenager, not finding any appropriate words. She was astonished._

_Dinah, sat on a chair next to her and shrugged her shoulders. "I know it… I told you, they look at me like a freak."_

"_Thanks, Mr. Redmond," Barbara said, "I'll call you back later."_

Dinah seemed to be in one piece, but she couldn't hide her sadness. It was not easy to be rejected and have no one to care for you.

The teenager nodded at the redhead.

"I'm sorry," Barbara said.

"Don't worry, Barbara, I knew this would happen," Dinah said. "They always looked at me in a strange way, they always told me my dreams were my imagination and that I needed to forget them. I was scared because I couldn't understand what was happening… and… they were more scared. You are usually scared of things you can't understand."

"You are perfectly normal, remember that. You are not a freak or a monster, you are a wonderful and beautiful young girl."

Dinah just leaned in and hugged her. "Thanks."

* * *

"I can't believe you are really going to make me sleep on the couch," Helena said, adjusting some blankets.

"You asked to sleep there." Barbara typed on her laptop, as se sat on the couch close to the brunette.

"But you never told me you had just bought a new bed!"

"You never asked me."

Helena glared to her. "You love to taunt me, right?"

"Me? Oh no…" She pushed her eyeglasses up her nose with her index finger.

"Whatever," Helena sat on the couch and bounced lightly, "It is perfect now."

"I'm happy for you…. I can't understand why those people wanted to burn the storage building."

"Before you start with that topic, tell me what happened with Chucky's parents? Did you call them?"

The older woman took a deep breath and looked at her, "Yes, and it was not pleasant… "

"Why?"

"Dinah was right, those people think she is a freak:"

"Who are those assholes??" Helena said angrily.

"I'm glad you got the point. I want to ask you something." Barbara looked at her "What if I petition the court to care for Dinah as I did you?"

"What?"

"They think she is some kind of monster, they said they were scared of her. All the things that Dinah told us are true."

"You are joking, right?"

"You know how it feels to be rejected. To be alone."

"I'm different, you already knew me." Helena shook her head. "Barbara, I don't trust her, you barely know her."

"She's a scared teenager," Barbara sighed, trying to make Helena understand.

"No, no, no and no! She eats cats, remember?"

Barbara rolled her eyes. "She is not going to hurt anyone, let's make a deal. I'll let her live here a few days more and then we will make a decision."

"Let's make a deal," Helena pointed at her, "if you want to help her, I'll give you one week to find her a home, but after it she must go."

"Hel…She isn't a puppy!"

"What we do is dangerous, this place is supposed to be secret. I'm not going to risk your life or my life letting a strange person living with you. No!"

Barbara sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, "I don't think…"

"Stop thinking with your heart!" Helena growled. "You know having her here is a risk to your life and mine."

"Hel, she is just a kid!"

"No, Barbara." Helena, annoyed, walked toward the elevator. "No!"

"Where are you going?"

"I need fresh air. Maybe you should get some too, to clear your mind."

The older woman rubbed her eyes with her palms. Why the hell was she so stubborn?

* * *

Barbara had just finished some work at her office and had left to go to check on the storage facility that burned down. She put her hand over the steering wheel, thinking. She really had trouble at home. She felt sorry for Dinah, but at the same time, maybe Helena was right. She didn't know the teenager. The kid didn't seem to be a bad person and, besides, what could Dinah do alone? If she ended up in another foster home or at the Children's Home, with her meta skills…. someone could find out and she would be in danger.

She heard knocks at her window. She lowered the glass.

"Hi, Jackie, sorry. I didn't hear you."

"I'm just arriving, something wrong? I saw you just sitting there and staring at nothing.

"I was thinking, personal issues…"

"Where are you going?"

"I was planning to go to the storage facility," Barbara sighed. "Someone burned one of them last night. It was one where some of the milk that I asked you to return was stored. Why did you accept it before asking me?"

"Barbara…"

"Please don't ever do this again..."

"Barbara, I tried to find you before, I can't return the shipment," Jackie said, resting her hands on the window of the car.

"You must."

The blonde lowered her head a few seconds before lifting it and looking at the redhead straight in her eyes. "Barbara, I gave my word."

"I'm sorry," the redhead said and rubbed her temple. "Listen… can we discuss this later? It's not a good day for me. Just send back that shipment, I don't want more trouble. I need to contact the insurance company and all that stuff."

"Please." The blonde shook her head.

"Jackie, you know this is wrong. I don't work this way. We will talk when I get back." She turned on the engine of the car. "And very seriously.

The woman stepped back and let her move the car back. At that moment her mobile phone rang. She opened it and answered, watching her friend drive the car outside the parking lot.

"It's me." Jackie said, "I'm sorry, she doesn't want do it…"

* * *

"Intentional?" Barbara asked the police officer. She was outside the burned building with a detective while another policemen checked the place.

"Definitely," he said, showing her a plastic bag.

"What's that?" She looked curiously at the bag, it seemed to be full of crystals.

"Those white crystals are acetone peroxide," Detective Reese said.

"Wait a minute… acetone peroxide?" Barbara narrowed her eyes. The explosive power of acetone peroxide was close to that of TNT. It was highly sensitive to heat, friction and mechanical shock, so much so that inexperienced handling could lead to maiming.

"Yes."

"Anti-terrorism experts reported that the compound is known as the 'Mother of Satan' by Islamic extremists for its devastating instability."

"We found two bodies inside."

"What?" This time the redhead couldn't hide her surprise. Helena had barely escaped the explosion and she couldn't get back in, the whole place had been in flames.

"We found it a few minutes before you arrived," Reese said. "TATP was, until recently, difficult to detect. It can be combined with other explosives as a detonator."

Barbara shook her head. This was serious.

"Do you have any idea as to who would want to do this?"

"No." She shook her head remembering that Huntress had fought against some thugs the night before. "I don't have any clue. It's just a storage building that we use to for supplies before we ship them to our offices around the world. This was one full of powdered milk. I had already asked that the entire shipment be sent back to the supplier."

"Why?"

"Bad quality."

"Is that all? It seemed someone was using your facility to run a corrupt business." The black man scratched his chin. "How many tons were inside?"

"No idea, Detective Reese, maybe 50 or 60. Perhaps we can check the files in the security office, they have a record of everything that is stored here."

"Do you have security cameras?"

"Yes." Barbara knew it would be useful, she had checked them all the night before.

"Can we check it?"

"Sure, come with me."

After a few hours and answering some questions for the detective, Barbara walked back to her vehicle. She checked her watch. Just enough time to do some errands and before having lunch with Dinah again. She drove the vehicle down street. It would not be easy to talk with Dinah, she still was not sure what to do about the girl.

But before that, she needed to have a serious talk with someone. She pressed a button on her mobile.

::Financial, Jackie Miller, good afternoon.::

"Jackie, Barbara. I'm just leaving the dockyards. The police found two dead bodies inside and acetone peroxide crystals."

::What is that?:: the woman asked.

"Helps to produce explosives," Barbara explained, turning toward the Main Street. "Seems it was being combined with the powdered milk in our facility, as a way to take it out of the country. Usually, customs doesn't check the items that the Foundation exports."

::It sounds bad. What about the two bodies?::

"No idea, maybe they were handling the peroxide and it exploded, it's very instable. Listen, I need the complete information on the man that sold to you the powdered milk." She took a deep breath, "What were you doing in the storage building last night?"

::I… ::

"Listen, I need to talk with you." Barbara shook her head. She had seen on the security cameras that the woman had been in the facility the night before. "Can you be at my office at 1:00?"

::Sure… Where are you now?::

"I need to pick up some analyses from the lab at Memorial Hospital and I am meeting Dinah at noon for lunch. Please call her and tell her I'll be on time and to wait for me at the office."

::All right.::

Barbara arrived to the hospital and went toward the lab. She was annoyed, something was wrong and Jackie was in the middle of it. What had she been doing at the dockyards? She picked up her analyses and walked toward the office of one of her best friends. She arrived at the office of hospital director and knocked on the door.

"Come in," the familiar voice said.

Barbara opened the door, smiling. "Hey, doctor."

"Barbara!" The old doctor said, smiling as she stood up.

"Hi, Leslie, How are you?" The redhead hugged her. Leslie Thompkins, a well-known doctor in New Gotham had been her friend for years, and her main doctor.

"Long time, no see."

"I'm sorry, you know how work is."

"Sit down, please." Leslie waved her hand at a chair.

"I'm sorry, I just came to see you quickly." Barbara took Leslie's hands in her own, "but I'd love to invite you to dinner at my home this weekend."

The old doctor looked at her with distrust. "You are not cooking right?"

Barbara rolled her eyes, "Alfred will do it."

"Excellent, I'll accept then." Leslie chuckled. "How is the monster?"

"Helena? Grumpy as always."

"Is she still working at that ugly bar?"

"I think so," Barbara said amused.

"You guys are really weird." Leslie shook her head.

"You know her father issues. She prefers to keep far from his money."

"Hard headed."

"As her dad."

"And you and Selina." The old woman pointed at her with her index finger.

"Come on, Les…"

"Well, you are."

Barbara sighed, she knew she couldn't win with her. She gave her the papers in her hand. "My analysis."

"Oh, excellent," Leslie took the envelope "Let me look it over and I'll call you this afternoon."

"Sure."

"I hope you are not pregnant."

"Not funny," Barbara glared at her.

"I know with your big child, you have enough."

"Tell me about it." Barbara looked at her watch. "Well, see you. I have an appointment."

"Sure."

The redhead hugged her and exited the office.

A few minutes later, the redhead drove her car toward the Wayne Building. She exited the parking lot and crossed the street. When she turned the next corner ,she heard a screech of tires, she saw a vehicle moving at high speed toward her, she didn't have time to react. The vehicle hit her side hard. She grunted, feeling the hard impact. Her car slammed against another parked at the sidewalk, as the airbag deployed.

She was barely conscious, but the sensation of a thin line of blood running down her face and a sharp pain in her left leg told her she was injured. She tried to move her left arm, but it hurt like hell too. She tried to remember what had just happened. She felt like she was inside a foggy dream and she was sinking into the darkness.

Barbara felt someone trying to pull her. Half opening her eyes, she noticed she was inside her car. She heard male voices around her. What had happened? She grunted in pain when whoever was trying to free her, pulled on her arm. Her entire body ached in pain. The faces around her were blurred. The pain overwhelmed her and she lost consciousness.

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	5. Kidnap

Carol was on the phone at the time Dinah arrived at Barbara's office. She seemed to be pretty busy and the woman waved her hand toward Barbara's office. Dinah nodded and walked inside.

"Oh I'm sorry," Dinah said, noticing that Jackie was at Barbara's desk reviewing some papers. "I didn't…"

"No, it's okay," Jackie said, "I was just leaving her some papers to sign."

"Oh… Okay, she said we would go to lunch…"

"Yes, she told me she will pick you up here." Jackie smiled at her. "Wait for her."

"Sure."

Jackie extended her hand to her and shook it. Dinah got a torrent of images in front of their faces. She felt an electric charge and moved her hand back.

"Dinah?" Jackie looked her. "Are you okay?"

"Yes…." the teenager mumbled, feeling scared. She had seen her asking someone to help her to knock Barbara off the road and she had seen her inside a storage facility close to a man with explosives. Could it be the storage building that Barbara said had burned the night before?

"You seemed disturbed," the blonde said.

"No, no…" she smiled. "I'm okay."

"Well, I must go, see you later."

"Bye."

Dinah watched her go. Maybe her mind was playing tricks. Could she tell Barbara or not? She was not sure the woman would believe her. She remembered the image that she had that day and the one where she had seen her involved in underhanded business and surrounded by people that seemed to be thieves. They were big and had weapons. She had the feeling that Jackie was a bad person, but Barbara trusted her and, surely, she wouldn't believe it. But she had the feeling something was wrong.

The woman seemed to be nice, but she could sense she was not honest. She looked a portrait on the desk.

Barbara and Helena were together, it was one of those strange moments where she could see the brunette smiling. Smiling and shining. Helena always seemed be carrying a shadow of sadness, something had happened, something connected with the dream she often had.

In that picture, it seemed they were at home, yes, that was the living room. They looked happy together. Both were so different, but they at the same time it was as if they were part of each other.

"Dinah. have you seen Miss Gordon?" Suddenly, Carol walked inside the office.

"I'm waiting for her," she said. "I saw her this morning."

"Dammit," the woman cursed.

"What's wrong?" she asked and noticed Jackie was outside the office, close to a window, and dialing her mobile.

"The police called," Carol said. "They found her car crashed a block from the hospital, but she was not there. Some witnesses said they saw some men helping a woman out of the car, but I called the hospitals and she is not there."

"Oh my…" Dinah had a bad feeling as she watched Jackie, who seemed be in a discussion with someone on the phone. "Have you called her home?"

"Yes, but no one answers."

"Maybe Helena. Do you know where she works?"

"Dark horse bar. We already called her, she said she would check at home."

Dinah picked up her bag and ran toward the door.

* * *

"And where the hell is she?" Helena yelled into the phone. "Where the fuck was the chauffer?" She covered her eyes with her hand, pacing near the Delphi. "All right, Carol, please don't move. Keep an eye on the phone." She hung up and closed her eyes a brief second.

"Fuck!" She took the phone and threw it against the floor. She was so frustrated.

"Miss Helena," Alfred said, he was standing behind her "You must remain calm.

"I can't!" the brunette said, extending her hands. "She is missing. No one knows what happened." She put her hands on her waist and moved her head. She took a breath, he was right, she needed to think clearly. It was just that she was afraid that someone would hurt Barbara or kill her. She was her family, the only person that she trusted and the only one who really had cared about her the last few years. "Jim is moving on this, too," she whispered. "It seems it's a kidnapping."

"Any clues?"

"No, the car that hit hers was reported stolen last week." She shook her head. "Listen, I think the best thing for me to do is to go on sweeps and try to see if I can find something."

The elevator doors opened at the Clock Tower, Dinah appeared. Helena glared at the girl and her eyes turned feral. Dinah felt a shiver when those blue eyes morphed to golden eyes and fixed on her with anger.

"Where is she?" Helena growled.

"What?" Dinah stepped outside the elevator.

"Where the fuck is she?" In a blink, Helena had jumped toward her and grabbed her throat with her right hand. "Tell me or I'll rip your head off!"

"It was not me!" The blonde grabbed Helena's hand with her own, but the young woman was incredibly strong.

"Miss Helena!" Alfred exclaimed.

The brunette pushed her against the wall. "If you touch a single hair on her head, you are dead."

Helena didn't see it coming, there was just a strong force that pushed her back against one of the desks at the Delphi.

"What the ….?" she growled, standing up.

"It was not me! Listen to me!" the teenager shouted.

Helena walked threatening to her. "You have one minute."

"It was Jackie!"

"Don't fuck with me!"

"It was Jackie!" Dinah insisted. "She is, in some way, responsible for Barbara's disappearance."

"You are a damn liar," Helena growled to her. "Jackie would never…"

"I touched her hand yesterday!" Dinah interrupted her. "She is betraying her! She is the one behind all this, it's all about the milk."

"She never could…" Helena couldn't believe what she was saying. Jackie and Barbara had been working together for years. She was trying to divert her attention.

"She is! She is betraying her!. Today, she shook my hand. She was angry with Barbara because of something with the milk and she called someone asking them to help. I saw it. She told him or her that she would be at Memorial Hospital and her car was found close to it!"

"You are lying…" Helena took a step toward her "Jackie never…"

"You are afraid of losing her," the blonde shouted. "You are desperate because you don't know where she is. She is your only family and you… are scared, scared like hell."

"Bullshit!" Helena turned, annoyed. The kid couldn't know how she was feeling.

"You know I'm not lying! I already touched you!"

The brunette clenched her teeth and glared at her. She wasn't lying. Maybe it was Barbara's only chance.

"Please, Helena," Dinah begged. "We must help her. Jackie must know where she is. I saw her talking with the men in a old building."

The dark haired woman picked up another phone from the Delphi and dialed a phone number. She waited a few seconds on the line. No one answered, she dialed again.

"Carol? This is Helena, I need to talk with Jackie, but she doesn't answer in her office." She looked at the blonde teenager. "Where did she go?.... All right, tell her I need to see her, it's urgent." She pressed the off button.

"What happened?" the blonde asked.

"She said she had something important to do, and that she will be back in one hour."

"We need to ask her. Helena, she must know, I saw her doing business with her work at the Foundation and she was angry with Barbara because she refused do something."

Helena looked at her. "She refused to buy some powder milk and asked Jackie to return it."

"Really?"

"She told me yesterday."

"I saw it! See? I was not lying."

"Alfred, keep an eye on the phones," Helena said, pressing the elevator button.

"Where are you going?" Dinah asked.

"We are going," Helena said, waving her toward the elevator, "to look for Jackie."

* * *

Her head was throbbing. She felt all sore and sick -- mostly her leg, it hurt like hell. The pain from it had awakened her. She noticed then that she was blindfolded. After a few seconds, she realized her hands were tied behind her back. She rested her head on the cold floor, trying to organize her thoughts.

She remembered the car accident, but, after that, it all was confused. She didn't know how long she had been unconscious. She tried to move her left arm, but it still hurt as well.

"I see you are awake," a male voice said. "You pissed me off when you screwed up our plan."

She lifted her head toward the voice. "Plan?"

"Yes, a great plan. Now I've lost almost four million dollars."

The redhead grunted when she felt a hard and unexpected kick to her side that took her the air from her lungs.

"It hurt me more to lose that money," the man said. "But maybe we can make a deal."

She felt he was close, his voice was close; possibly, he had kneeled next to her. His hand touching her hair told her she was right. She moved her head back.

"If we start doing business, I think," the man said, "I would feel much better and maybe I can help you with raising funds to your foundation."

"I don't make deals with criminals."

"You don't have to. You will send your help to other countries as you always do, but… you need to let us ship that extra merchandise."

"Acetone peroxide," she mumbled, feeling disgusted when he touched her cheek.

"Exactly. You don't need to do anything, just let us prepare the shipments. I need two per month. It's an easy job, you win and I win."

"I can't," she said.

"Come on, Miss Gordon, this is an easy task."

"I don't work with people like you."

"I'm asking in a very nice way. I don't want to be rude." She heard the man was stand up.

"The foundation works to help people, not to support criminals."

The answer was another hard kick against her stomach; she curled in pain.

"I'm going to ask you again nicely, Miss Gordon," the thug sighed, circling her, "I hate not being nice with women, but sometimes I need to do it. I promise you, I will give you a good amount of money each month, if you support my cause."

"No."

The man exhaled noisily and kept silent a few seconds. "Maybe I need to leave you alone for a few minutes to think it ove," he said.

She heard him exiting the room and a door closing. Suddenly, she felt a strong kick to her back and then another on her gut, she gasped. And then another kick… until she lost the consciousness.

---------------


	6. Memories

Helena drove her bike at high speed down the streets of New Gotham.

Dinah sat behind her hugging her waist hard and burying her head in the brunettes back with closed eyes. The brunette made some dangerous turns and twists between vehicles. Dinah felt sick, she swore to herself never to a ride with Helena ever again. They arrived at the foundation.

Helena jumped down and ran inside the Wayne's building. She threw her keys and helmet to the door man.

"Come on kid!" she shouted.

"I'm coming." Dinah barely could follow her; she felt her legs shaking.

She stormed inside Barbara's office, where carol was at her desk.

"Any news?"

"No, Miss Kyle."

"Jackie?"

"She just arrived, she's in her office." Carol pointed with her pen toward the corridor.

Helena ran toward it and surprised Jackie's secretary when she stepped inside the office with no warning.

"Miss Kyle, good morning."

The brunette didn't answer, she just opened Jackie's door. The blonde was at her desk and stood up immediately.

"Helena, I'm sorry for…."

"Where is she?" Helena growled.

"What?"

The brunette pushed her against the wall. "Don't play your games with me. Where is Barbara?"

"What… are you talking about?"

"You were doing illegal business here," Dinah said. "You talked with a man about how much Barbara pissed you off and he demanded you stop her! You were in that storage building last night before it burned!"

The woman looked at Dinah, not understanding how she could know about it.

"Of course I was there…" she mumbled. "I was doing what Barbara said… I needed to send back the…"

"You are lying." Helena narrowed her eyes, as they morphed to feral.

Jackie saw it and cried.

"Were you betraying Barbara? Damn bitch!" She smashed her hand against the wooden wall and broke it. "Where is she?"

"I don't know… you can't believe what she is saying…"

"You know where Barbara is!" Dinah said.

"Helena, we have been friends for a long time…" Jackie said, feeling nervous, she never had seen Helena so angry. "I never would betray Barbara's trust."

Dinah walked toward her and took Jackie's hand. Helena watched her her. "What?"

Jackie tried to pull her hand back but Dinah kept a hard grip on her.

"I know where she is!" the teenager yelled, suddenly releasing her hand.

"What?" the older woman said.

"I know where Barbara is! Jackie was coming back from that place," Dinah talked at high speed "They have her there! It's a big house with bricks and…"

"Where is she?" Helena asked, grabbing her arm..

"I saw a sign, Winston Street. Tthere is a house with a big wall, the number is 552. She is not well, she is hurt…"

"Helena, you can't believe what she is saying," Jackie laughed nervously.

The brunette fixed her eyes on the woman. Maybe she was right and Dinah was leading her to a trap.

Jackie's secretary was at the door frame, watching in astonishment at what was happening inside. A security guard had arrived.

"Keep an eye on her." Helena pushed Jackie against the wall. "Keep an eye on her. I don't want her leaving this office and I don't want her calling anyone."

"Yes, Miss Kyle."

"Come on kid." The brunette exited the place, angry.

Dinah followed her, when the doors closed behind them, she found herself against the wall.

"Don't lie to me kid," Helena growled to her.

"I'm not lying!"

"If this is a trap, you are dead."

"I'm not lying to you," Dinah told her, "I hope you know how to apologize when you discover I'm telling you the truth!"

Helena lifted her index finger to her. "You are warned." She stepped back and looked anxiously at the numbers on the elevator.

Dinah swallowed and remained unmoving, staring at her. She hugged herself and lowered her head. Why she couldn't believe her? She was just trying to help.

When she regained conscious, he was there. He must have noticed she was awake again because he talked to her.

"Miss Gordon, I hope you have thought it through well, now. I gave you a good amount of time to think."

She bit her lip, trying to endure an insistent sharp of pain in her ribs, one of his men surely had broken one. Her lips felt so dry.

"Who are you?" she mumbled.

"A friend."

"Who works with more friends."

"Yes," he chuckled. "I couldn't do this alone, I have many friends around. Can we talk about business now?"

"This is not business… forget it."

She cried when he grabbed her hair and lifted her. Dammit, that broken rib was painful and her arm wasn't helping so much. She felt his hot breath close her face.

"Do you want me to ask you in a rude manner? I can be very difficult when I'm pissed, and you are pissing me off right now. Miss Gordon, I suggest you accept my offer and we will finish this. I lost so much money yesterday and I don't want to lose more," he said, angrilyy remembering the strange woman who had interrupted them inside the storage facility the last night. During the fight, some of the acetone peroxide crystals had exploded and started a fire.

"No way."

"If you don't want to, someone else will." He slammed her back against the floor "I'm going to ask you one last time…"

"Forget it… the answer will always be the same…"

He slapped her hard on her face. She clenched her teeth and curled up, trying to protect herself from the anger of the man that seemed to be very big and strong. He was very angry, she gasped when one of the kicks hit her straight in her abdomen.

Suddenly, the beating stopped, her ears buzzed and she had trouble to coordinate her ideas, the pain was killing her, every movement hurt as hell.

The blindfold was removed, she couldn't see anything, the bright of the lights blinded her, she thought she could hear Helena's voice. It couldn't be, the vigilante didn't have any idea about where she was.

She felt some one touching her and she instinctively pushed back. Someone was talking to her, Helena? Slender fingers touched her face. They were soft, small. It was Helena, she could feel her cradling her head against her chest, but she could barely understand what she was saying.

The last thing she felt was her body being lifted. The pain in her side was too much and she passed out.

* * *

When she arrived at the house, Helena jumped the high wall. She walked carefully inside and her heart had raced when she saw the crashed car parked inside the garage. The same one the police had described. She then jumped to the second level and moved inside the house through an open window.

She had heard voices downstairs and walked down slowly. The voices came from the basement. She heard Barbara's name and the familiar sound of flesh hitting flesh. She didn't need more. She had interrupted, breaking the heavy wooden door and landing on her feet in the basement.

She recognized immediately the person curled up on the floor and jumped on the man that was over her. He had crashed hard to the floor and she had knocked him out easily. A man grabbed her from behind and she pushed back. The man grunted when his back hit the empty wall.

She turned and hit him twice, knocking him out.

A third thug kicked her and she fell against some old furniture. He attacked her, but the brunette jumped and kicked him, making him stumble back. She didn't gave him time to recover and she punched him with both fists with such strength that he fell unconscious to the floor. She looked around, no more thugs.

She looked, then, at the unmoving form of her best friend. She felt her heart sink in her chest and ran toward the redhead.

"Barbara?" She removed the blindfold and unknotted the rope that tied her hands back, she was in bad shape. "Barbara?" Huntress asked softly, touching the redhead's cheek.

The older woman moved her head back instinctively.

"Hey, it's me..." Helena said, softly caressing her hair, worried when she noticed Barbara was seriously injured. "It's me, easy, you are safe now.". She put her arm around her back and rested her head against her shoulder. She felt tears in her eyes. "I'll take you home."

Dinah hopped downstairs. Helena was holding Barbara carefully against her. The red head was seriously beaten. "Oh God…" she mumbled. Helena didn't seem to realize she was there as she just tenderly held the redhead.

The brunette bit her lips, angry. Fuck, those bastards. Why they had done this to her? She needed medical attention.

"I'm sorry," Helena mumbled, kissing her forehead. "You'll be okay."

Helena realized then, that Dinah as there, she gave her mobile to her.

"The number to the ClockTower is in there, call Alfred. Give him please this address and ask him to call the police. He will know what to do. Ask him to prepare the medical lab and call Leslie, he will understand and he will send someone to pick you up here."

"Okay…" the teenager nodded.

"Thanks," Helena said, before walking upstairs holding Barbara against her.

* * *

*************

When she arrived at the Clock Tower, Leslie was waiting for her… She didn't care if anyone saw her running across the buildings. Luckily, night was falling and she could easily get home in short time. She arrived at the Clock Tower at the same time as Leslie.

She seemed to be in bad shape and Leslie had asked Helena to leave her alone to examine the redhead. She had said her condition was serious.

Sitting in the living room on the second floor of the Clock Tower, Helena brushed her hair back. She couldn't lose her, she was an important part of her life, her whole family.

This couldn't be happening.

Not to her, not again.

Dinah arrived at the Clock Tower after a chauffeur had picked her up. She noticed Helena, her head buried between her hands, she looked devastated.

She didn't want to bother the brunette, so she went to the kitchen and sat at the breakfast table where Alfred was preparing some coffee.

"Want some hot chocolate, Miss Dinah?"

"Please. How is Barbara?"

"Dr. Leslie Thompkins is with her now. It seems she has a few broken ribs and her left arm is fractured. She is seriously injured." Alfred said setting a steaming mug in front of the teen.

"Why here? Why not a hospital?"

"Miss Barbara and Miss Helena hate hospitals."

Dinah looked at Helena who was unmoving on the couch, waiting.

"Always I see them arguing… I thought... now I realize that she loves her so much."

"Their life has been difficult," he explained. "They have always supported each other. It's much more than a simple friendship, it's a story of survival."

"How long have they known each other?"

"Since Miss Helena was a child. Her mother and Miss Barbara knew each other pretty well until that night. It was terrible and sad night that changed their lives forever."

"What happened, Alfred?" Dinah asked curiously.

He sat at the table in front of her. "It's a long story."

"Could you tell me?"

"It happened seven years ago," he explained. "For many years in the city of New Gotham, a secret war raged by night. Unknown to the everyday world, a battle for the very heart of the city was waged between Batman and Joker."

"Did he really exist?" Dinah asked surprised.

"Yes, he is an incredible man. On one night, the final battle was fought, and Joker lost. Joker's revenge was taken not on Batman himself, but on the ones he loved. Miss Helena's mother was The Joker's first victim. Her life was forever changed that dark night…"

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	7. Nightmare

She watched her mother die in her arms. She lost her world in an instant. She couldn't understand why that man murdered her mom. They were just walking after attending the theater, they were making plans for dinner. The night was young, they were having fun and suddenly everything crashed. It was so unreal.

And afterwards, everything moved in slow motion. For her, the arrival of the ambulance was eternal, she kept pressing her hands over her mother's wound to stop the bleeding, calling her, asking her to react, to open her eyes.

She noticed many people around her, they were talking, but she couldn't understand what they were saying. When the paramedics moved her mom to the ambulance, she had to push back two guys that tried to stop her from follow her mother. No one was going to separate them.

A woman in the ambulance asked her questions, she couldn't remember what she had answered. She felt dazed, numb, swirling in a fog. A long "beep" indicated Selina's heart had stopped. The paramedic moved frantically inside the vehicle trying to bring her back to life, but was unsuccessful. When the ambulance arrived at the hospital, her mother was dead.

A paramedic took her from one place to another when they arrived at the hospital. Disoriented, she followed blindly. He took her to the emergency room in the hospital, She silently went where they guided her, she was too dazed to refuse or ask questions, she just did what they asked her to do.

She sat on a chair, hugging herself, crying. She couldn't stop crying. A tall police man sat with her and asked her questions, the same questions over and over. She couldn't remember if she'd seen the man, if she'd seen where he'd run, or what he had said. She could barely recall what she and her mom had been doing.

So many questions.

She answered mechanically, she couldn't remember what she answered, she just wanted to wake up from the painful nightmare. At the end, she signed some paper just because the man asked her to do it, but she didn't know what she was signing.

A woman then entered the room with a big notebook. The woman was young and pretty, a police badge was on her waist. Her voice was kind.

"Where is my mom?" Helena asked. Everybody just asked her questions, but no one told her what was happening with her mother.

The woman looked at her with sadness and understanding. "Doctors are preparing her now," she said. "I need your help, maybe you don't know, but this procedure requires authorization by an adult. Where can I contact your dad?" she asked.

Helena just stared blankly at her.

"Do you have a father? I need to contact him," the woman asked again, noticing the girl's confusion. "Your mother's husband?"

Helena shook her head lightly.

"Okay, darling, did your mother have any sisters? Cousins?"

Helena moved her head again.

"Do you have any siblings? Grandparents? Do know a close family member that we can contact?"

She didn't have any family, just her mother. That was moment that she understood she was alone in the world.

"It was just the two of us," she said with a strangled whisper.

The woman understood. This seemed to be really bad for the child. She was an orphan now, with no family. "Darling, we need contact an adult, do you understand? We need to start a procedure."

Helena looked her with moist eyes. She didn't know what to do,

The woman sighed, the girl was lost in her own pain. She needed to stop the process until they could find an adult who could take the situation in his hands. "Okay, I'll try to find someone that can help us with your mom's case and a counselor who can help you? Okay? Wait here."

The young girl didn't move. Helena remained still in her place, she didn't know what would happen next. It was terrible to realize the future was so uncertain. She was living a damn nightmare. She stayed there for long minutes, tears streaming silently down her face.

Suddenly, a name hit her mind—Barbara. Barbara could help her. She saw a phone on the far wall, she walked toward it. The shaking of her hands made it difficult to take a some change from her pockets to make the phone call.

She dialed the number and waited.

The machine answered. Damn.

*******

She tried again.

Again that damn machine message.

She hung up the phone with a hard thud. Where the fuck was Barbara?

The girl sat on the chair in the corridor feeling totally defeated. She had been calling Barbara just to get the answering machine answering over and over. She had been calling her for almost an hour and she didn't know what to do. She sobbed and buried her head in her hands. What was she going to do now?

She'd never felt so vulnerable and alone. A hand on her shoulder made her lift her head.

It was Commissioner Gordon, Barbara's dad. He was with two other men. She thought they were police officers, but they had long coats. A light of hope made her heart jump a bit, he could help her find Barbara.

"Helena, I'm sorry, I just heard what happened," he said. He had heard on the radio that her mother had been murdered a few hours ago.

"I need to find Barbara," she said almost with a whisper. "Do you know where she is?"

"She…" he looked toward the emergency doors.

She noticed he seemed to be disturbed too.

"Please," she pleaded, "I need to find her."

"She is hurt," he finally told her.

Blue eyes widened. "Hurt?"

"Someone shot her a few hours ago, she has been in surgery for the past two hours. I went out to check her apartment to find some clues about who did this and just came back."

"She will be okay, right?"

"I don't know, the doctor told me before he started the surgery that her condition is critical and it will be a long operation. Her internal organs are damaged."

She felt everything spinning, her knees didn't support her and the commissioner had to grab her arm so that she didn't fall to the floor. The girl let herself fall heavily on the chair. It was like being in a vacuum. There were no sounds, no sights, just a deep, dark silence.

She saw him kneeling in front of her. He said something, but she couldn't hear it. She really tried to understand what was he saying, but it was too hard.

It was when she felt a light pain on her hand, that she again became somewhat aware of her surroundings. Gordon had squeezed it to bring her back to reality.

"What happened to your mom's body? Where it is?" he asked, trying to not be rude.

The words refused to come out, she just stared at him.

"Helena, can you tell me what happened to your mom's body? What did the doctors tell you?"

This time she understood the meaning of the words, she answered with a barely audible voice. "The doctor said they needed fill out some papers. I can't sign, he asked me for an adult to fill all the papers, but I don't have any other family. Why can't I sign and take her out of here? She is my mom. I was trying to find Barbara, she could help me, but…"

"Oh man, I'm sorry." He shook his head "Look, I know a good friend of your mom is following her case. I'll call him and ask to him follow up on the process. He has good lawyers and influences, he will arrange all the details, Do you understand?"

The girl nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Will she die?" she asked, afraid of the answer.

"Barbara is strong, she will survive. We must have faith." He took a deep breath. The child was alone. He knew she didn't have family. He couldn't leave her there alone. "Look, the nurse just gave me a room upstairs. You can stay with me while we find out what's next, and while we wait for Barbara's surgery to finish, okay?"

"What will I do if she dies?" she mumbled, crying.

"She won't, trust me. She doesn't surrender that easily."

She lowered her head.

"Come with me," she felt him pulling her hand lightly. "We need to get you some clean clothes."

**********

Jim Gordon took Helena to the upper level of the hospital. There were private rooms like suites, with a small living room and a bathroom, separate from the hospital bed chamber. She sat there while he made some calls. The men with him were work friends. They talked about everything that had happened. The Joker had gotten away from the police after a Batman had caught him, only for a few hours, but long enough to shoot Barbara at her apartment and kill her mother.

She didn't know who that man bat was that they were talking about, maybe a police code. She couldn't understand why that Joker man would want to kill her mother. It seemed the Commissioner was working on the streets when his radio caught an emergency signal saying there was a 911 call in which the victim was Barbara Gordon. A neighbor had found Barbara lying on the floor, nude, with two shots in her abdomen. She had lost a lot of blood and she had barely survived. It had been a miracle she was still alive. The bullets had damaged vital organs. One of the bullets barely miss her spine. A few inches more and she would have been crippled.

It had been the longest night of her life. Waiting was like dying slowly.

She was petrified of being totally alone, Barbara was her only hope. She prayed the redhead would survive.

She sat on a corner of the small couch with her elbows on her thighs and her head buried in her hands.

Jim kept walking in and out of the room, answering the phone and talking with his men.

This couldn't be happening. Not to her.

"Helena?"

The girl didn't answer immediately, she heard her name far away. She lifted her head and noticed a heavy woman with blonde short hair sitting next to her.

"I'm a counselor. I want talk with you."

"Why?" She narrowed her eyes.

"I know this is not easy for you, but we must talk about what happened."

The teen stared at her as the woman began to talk and talk, but she couldn't understand what she was saying. The brunette closed her eyes and buried her head again between her hands.

The woman kept talking and talking. It was too hard to focus on her.

"Helena?" the counselor asked.

"Huh…?" The brunette lifted her head and looked her.

"We need to talk." The woman leaned towards her a bit, crossing her hands over her knees.

"I don't want to talk."

"How do you feel now?"

"How I…?" Disturbed, Helena looked at her. It was a dumb question.

"Can you talk to me?"

"My mom is dead…" she said, trying to make the woman understand this was not the best moment. Why didn't Jim come back? Maybe he could kick the woman out the room.

"Yes, how do you feel?"

She shook her head. She couldn't talk about this now. The young girl sighed and rested her back on the couch, covering her eyes with her hand. All her feelings were so confused right now. Her mind was still processing everything that was happening around her.

"I'm just trying to help you, Helena."

"I can't…"

"Can you try to talk to me?"

"Please."

"I think you can talk with her later miss…?" a voice at the door interrupted.

The woman looked up to him.

"Dr. Smith."

"Dr. Smith," the man smiled and walked inside the room, with a bag in his hand.

"Miss Helena needs to take a shower and rest."

Helena looked at the man, she recognized him. It was Alfred. He was a butler that was sometimes at her home or with Barbara. Her mother said he was a good friend.

"But…" the doctor started.

"I hope you understand that she is still a kid and needs to rest after everything that has happened." He explained, "Bruce Wayne, the main investor of this hospital will not be pleased to know that we didn't give the girl the correct attention. I think you can interview her at a better time."

"Excuse me," the woman said, recognizing Bruce Wayne's name. "You are?"

"Alfred Pennyworth, Mr. Wayne's butler, and the girl is the daughter of one of his most beloved friends, Ms. Selina Kyle. I hope you understand that she needs to shower and rest."

The old woman opened her mouth and nodded. "All right, I can come back later." She picked up her things and exited the room.

Helena was grateful for the woman's exit. When the woman left, Alfred smiled gently at her.

"I'm sorry. I heard about your mother," he said. "Commissioner Gordon called Master Bruce, an old friend of your mother. He wasn't at home, but the commissioner told me you were with him. Master Bruce is working on your mother's case. Don't worry, he will take care of everything." He offered her the duffel bag of clothes he had in his hands, "I think you will feel more comfortable if you change and get cleaned up."

"Thanks." She hesitated a second before taking the clothes. Noticing her hesitation, he waved his hand toward the bathroom.

"Please." She gave him a weak smile, and walked inside the bathroom.

She removed her clothes, fixing her eyes on the bloody shirt on the floor. Her mom had bought it for her for this night. It was a beautiful shirt. She turned toward the sink and took the soap. She needed to wash her hands, still stained in blood. So much blood -- she washed her hands. The damn blood. She started to rub her hands, frantically, trying to wash off the blood, wishing that once they were clean, everything would go back to normal.

She scrubbed and scrubbed, crying. Her hands were already clean, but she could still see her fingers stained in blood.

She kept rubbing her hands against the soap. Finally, she fell on the floor, sobbing. This must be a nightmare, it was a nightmare.

She wanted her mom back.

She wanted Barbara to be okay.

********


	8. Hours

The surgery was long.

Jim had never felt as desperate and anxious. He never expected this to happen to her. The damn crazy man had almost killed her. Barbara had changed his entire life. She had given him the pleasure of knowing what it felt like to be a father.

Now, he felt the anguish of knowing one of your children was hurt. At the same time, he couldn't avoid feeling sorry for Selina's daughter. Barbara told him Selina was her mother and that she didn't know who the father of the poor girl was. So, she was alone. Her future was uncertain.

The doctor appeared in the room, informing him that the surgery had been successful, but Barbara's condition was still critical. They needed to wait and see how she's recover. Everything depended on her now.

When the doctor left, Jim covered his face in relief. She was still alive.

"Will she be okay?" Helena asked shyly.

"The hard part is over," he said, lifting his head and smiling at her. "That is good news. Now, we wait and pray that she is strong enough." He sat next to her and moved an arm around her back. "How are you?"

The teen nodded.

"I'm really sorry, Helena, this is not easy for you."

"I don't understand. My mom didn't know that man."

"Life is complicated. We will find him. The police are looking for him now."

"The police will kill him?"

"I don't think so. He will have a trial and, then, a judge and jury will decide his fate will say what's next."

"Why can't they kill him?" the teen asked. "He killed my mom."

"It's the law."

"The law is unfair," Helena said angrily.

He sighed and nodded. "Sometimes it happens, you are right. But let's wait and see what happens first. I'm sure the judge will give him life in jail."

"I don't want him in jail." Helena growled, "I want him dead."

"That is not right, Helena." Jim rubbed the palms of his hands.

"It is not right that someone kills others, no?" The young girl stood up with her fists balled, "I want him dead."

"That is illegal, Helena," he answered with a calm voice, watching her. It was the first time that night that she'd let her emotions flow out.

"The thing he just did to my mom was illegal too!!" she shouted, crying. "Why should just be behind bars and alive when my mother is dead?"

"The law doesn't works that way." Jim understood her anger, but was trying to make her understand.

"I'll kill him!" she yelled, pacing agitatedly.

"You can't…"

"Why not?" She turned and faced him.

"The law…"

"I don't care! I want him dead!." She growled again and clenched her fists making her knuckles turn white.

"Settle down." He stood up. He was taller than her, but it didn't seem to intimidate the thin teen.

"No! I don't want to! I'll kill him!"

"Calm down, Helena."

The brunette turned. Puzzled blue eyes looked at the old woman in front of her.

Leslie Tompkins, an older woman with gray hair and not too tall had been her doctor since she was a child. A friend of her mom had recommended her to Selina because she knew everything about metahumans and Leslie didn't care that they were different. Helena's mother had trusted her because Leslie was a very discreet person.

Thompkins ran a clinic for criminals and drug addicts in Gotham City. While the majority of her patients were repeat offenders, she continued to do her job with great perseverance and determination. She was a close friend of Thomas Wayne, Bruce Wayne's father and took it upon herself to look after Bruce when the boy's parents were killed, often acting with Alfred Pennyworth. She comforted Bruce immediately after his parents' deaths.

It was ironic that now Helena was in the same situation as Bruce years ago.

"He deserves to die, I'll kill him," Helena growled.

"You are not God to say who lives or not. You must let the justice system do its job."

"No!" The brunette walked toward her. "He killed my mother! He has no right!"

"And you don't have the right to choose his destiny." Leslie crossed her arms and looked her in the eye. "He did wrong, but if you think you know what's right, don't walk down his path."

"He killed my mom, Leslie!" Tears appeared in the teen's eyes. "He killed her! I hate him!"

"I know, but don't be like him. Don't turn in what you most hate."

Frustrated, the teen bit her lips to contain her anger.

"Helena, I'm so sorry," the old doctor whispered softly. "I heard what happened on the news, but the paramedics brought Barbara to the hospital and I needed be in surgery. Otherwise, I would have found you sooner."

"I couldn't say goodbye to her," the brunette mumbled, looking blankly at a point on the wall. Her mind went back a few hours. She could see the whole scene again, it was so clear in her mind "We were talking, the man bumped her… and… she fell to the ground. The man ran and I saw her lying there on the wet ground… so much blood…." Helena felt a knot in her throat, her blue eyes fixed on the old doctor. "I tried to stop it, but she was bleeding so much. I called her, Leslie, I called her, but she never opened her eyes again…."

Leslie took a step toward Helena and wrapped her arms around her. The young girl broke and buried her head in the woman's shoulder as she started to cry.

"I'm sorry, Helena, I'm so sorry," Leslie murmured as she held the sobbing teen.

* * *

Helena, sat on a chair, silently watching the redhead lying on the bed.

It had been two days since Barbara had surgery, but, still, she didn't open her eyes. Jim had needed to leave, he had asked Helena to keep an eye on the red head. He didn't want to go, but the call from his office said it was urgent.

At least the breathing tube had been removed, but Barbara still looked so pale, her skin had an ash color.

She remembered that she almost had fainted when the doctors brought Barbara inside the room, covered in tubes. She had the same cold expression on her face as her mother. Seeing the redhead lying on that medical bed, surrounded by machines, made her lose her hope for an instant.

Helena rested her hand on Barbara's delicate fingers carefully, trying not to disturb an IV in her hand. Her fingers caressed the woman's lightly. Her eyes fixed on the light movement of her chest moving up and down. The first annoying "beep" of the heart monitor eventually became a comforting sound that soothed her at night. Each "beep" was a signal that Barbara was still alive.

She felt so tired.

Her mom's funeral had been the day before.

It had been the most depressing day of her life. Everything had looked like she was in the middle of a deep fog. She didn't remember how many people had been there or who had given condolences. Her mind was only focused in that elegant wooden box where her mother's body rest.

She knew she would never see her again.

It was so hard to see her for the last time. She cried for what felt like the entire day. She couldn't stop.

Leslie had stayed with her. She had been good company. She didn't have to talk, words were not necessary with her.

She could barely remember some friends from school there, Alfred was there, he was a nice man. Some strange people were there, Leslie said they were her mom's friends. She didn't care, she didn't know anyone. Just one, a man that she had met a few times years ago with her mom -- Bruce Wayne, a millionaire. Leslie told her he was the man who had arranged the funeral and had sorted everything out at the hospital.

She had seen him twice at the hospital, talking with Jim. He seemed to be really worried about Barbara.

At her mother's funeral, he looked very sad. He didn't talk with anyone.

Leslie said it would be good to thank him for everything later.

She was right. She couldn't have done everything he had done.

Leslie had given her some money. She didn't want it, but Leslie insisted and made her get some food, even though she wasn't hungry. She told her to buy some personal stuff and she'd claimed that she owed that money to her mother. She had bought some of her jewelry.

Of course, Helena didn't believe her.

But was a good excuse to accept the money. She needed it until she could figure out what to do. There was a lot of stuff she needed to check, like her mom's bank accounts, the apartment, her art collection. Leslie said she would help her as soon as possible.

Jim had been excused from going. He wanted to stay with Barbara, and that was fine with Helena. Barbara needed care now. After the funeral, she came back to the hospital and found Jim sobbing next to the redhead. She had never seen him cry.

She sat curled up on a small couch in the room. She felt so bad, so empty. She just wanted to be close to Barbara. In some way, it comforted her restless heart.

She blinked, clearing her eyes of tears. It had been a difficult day.

"Barbara," she whispered taking the redhead's hand, "please don't go…" her fingers took her index finger and squeezed it lightly. "I need you."

It felt so warm. Just holding her finger made her feel that she was not alone. She wanted to see her open her eyes. She stayed there, sitting, staring at her for a long time until she drifted to asleep.

A hand gently tapping her shoulder made her wake up. Sleepy, she yawned and looked up. It was Leslie.

"Come on, you need lunch," the old doctor said, showing her a bag with a burger and fries.

"I'm not hungry."

"You said that yesterday."

"I have to stay," she turned to look at Barbara, "Jim asked me to take care of her, he is not here."

"Let's see…" Leslie checked the monitor to the left of the unconscious redhead. After a few seconds, she took the pulse of the young woman. "She looks much better," she said, checking Barbara's pupils with her flashlight. "Her reflexes are good, her pulse is normal and her cheeks look more pink."

Helena looked at her with a hopeful gaze. "Do you think she will wake up soon?"

"I hope so, dear. When I cleaned her wound this morning it was healing pretty well." Leslie smiled at her "We can eat lunch now in the living area."

"But I have to keep an eye on her…"

"Helena, you need to eat."

"Really, I'm not hungry now, Leslie," Helena mumbled.

The older woman sighed, observing the girl's reaction. Everything had been so difficult, so painful. "Helena, you need talk with the counselor."

"I don't want to." The brunette shook her head, staring at Barbara's form.

Leslie crossed her arms and looked at her. The girl clearly wasn't in a good shape, she was seriously affected. Being with Barbara was an escape for her hurt soul, to soothe her pain. Barbara had always showed her understanding and love. She was trying to reclaim a bit of what she'd had ripped away.

"What happened is not easy, Helena," the doctor said. "You lost your mother and you need help. Don't lose your life too. Let people help you."

"I don't want to talk with anyone."

"You don't want to eat, okay, but you need to be healthy and strong to take care of Barbara. You don't want talk, okay, but you will need to do it someday. Sooner or later we must face things that we don't like. Think about that. When you start to talk about your mom, your wounds will start to heal."

Leslie patted her shoulder gently before taking the burger out the bag and walking toward the door.

"I'll take care of this little one now, but tonight I hope you will help me with a pizza. Extra cheese, double pepperoni, your favorite…"

Leslie left the room. She was a good person, but the truth was that Helena was not in mood to talk or be sociable; she felt like her heart was in thousands of pieces

Her blue pupils again fixed on the redhead.

"Wake up, please," she whispered.

* * *

"Dr. Leslie Thompkins."

The good doctor heard her name a step before she walked inside her office. She turned her head. Alfred was there. They had been good friends for a long time.

After Bruce's parents were killed, she often interacted with Alfred. As a parental figure and guardian, she comforted Bruce immediately after his parents' deaths. During that time, she was concerned with Bruce's behavior as he grew increasingly antisocial.

She was even more perturbed when she discovered that, in his adult years, Bruce spent his nights fighting the criminal elements of Gotham as the Batman.

"Alfred! It's nice to see you again," she said extending her hand to him.

"It's a pleasure, madam." The butler took her hand and kissed it gently.

"Always so British, I love it! Come in." She waved him into her office.

The man followed her and sat next to her desk, as she sat down across from him.

"How is the old bat doing?" Dr. Thompkins asked, crossing her arms.

Leslie disapproved of Bruce's vigilantism, and felt partly responsible for his transformation into Batman, fearing that somehow she failed him as a role model.

When she discovered a Batgirl was around, she wondered what crazy girl would be trying to emulate him. That was the most stupid idea that she had ever heard. When she found out it was Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Commissioner Gordon, it was surprising.

Barbara, at first sight, was a very easy going and an incredibly smart girl, who avoided crazy parties and acted like an adult when her friends' behaviors were still immature.

She knew her through Batman. Sshe never liked the idea that a woman so young and beautiful would risk her life following in the insane footsteps of Batman. But she couldn't change everybody's choices, so she accepted her as she was.

"He is very depressed," the butler said. "He still loved Miss. Kyle. He has been closed up in the manor since her funeral."

Leslie felt a deep sadness for him. It had been so difficult for the man to open his heart to love; duties had separated him from his biggest love. He thought the lives of the people of Gotham needed to be placed before his own needs, forgetting that he needed to have a life too. And now, death had stolen his love forever.

"I'm sorry for him," she mumbled.

"He is still worried about Miss Barbara." He looked at the doctor, "How has she been today?"

"I just came from there. She is doing fine, she is much better, but… I'm worried about Helena."

"The poor girl is very hurt." Alfred shook his head, he had seen the pain of a child losing his parents once and it was unpleasant. Now Helena was facing the same nightmare that Master Bruce had suffered.

"She is closed in her own pain." Leslie sighed, remembering Helena's reactions and answers. "She doesn't want to talk and she is now hiding her pain in her concern for Barbara."

"She's has known Miss Barbara since she was a small child," the old man analyzed. "Knowing that she doesn't have any family, she will see Miss Barbara as her only refuge. She doesn't want to lose her."

Leslie nodded. "Yes, I have been thinking about her. She is an orphan, and a minor at only sixteen. Social services will surely pick her up and take her to a children's home." She rubbed her chin with her fingers. "But she is meta -- that is not a safe place for her. She will be at risk."

"I thought of that as well," the old man said.

"I'm worried for her future. She is just a kid. Selina adored her, spoiled her. She's been so sheltered and, now, she's suddenly lost everything. Living in a government run facility will kill her.

"I agree. That is a poor option."

"On other hand, what if Helena is expecting to live with Barbara?" Leslie waved her hands. "What if she refuses? She is only twenty five! And then there are her extracurricular activities… "

"Indeed." He nodded.

"Her life is at risk every minute. It will break Helena's heart-"

"We must be optimistic, Miss Barbara has a great heart," Alfred pointed out, "maybe she will do it, she cares for Miss Helena very much."

"Okay, let's hope for that because I am much too old to raise a teenager," Leslie said leaning back on her chair. "Let's imagine she wants to adopt Helena. It's more difficult for a single parent to take care of the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of a child than it is for two parents. There is still hesitation on the part of many professionals to accept single parent adoption..." She sighed. "Selina will roll in her grave if that child gets lost in the system."

"Miss Barbara has the support of her father and Master Bruce."

"I know." Leslie took a pencil and played with it between her fingers. "Whatever, we must wait and see what happens. Meanwhile, I just hope Helena opens her heart and lets her anger out. She is hiding all her feelings and it is not good."

"She is upstairs?"

"Yes, Jim has been very nice, letting her stay there. Her mind is just focused on Barbara's recovery now."

He stood up, arranging his coat, and smiled at Leslie. "I came to visit both of them, Miss Barbara and Miss Helena. I'll keep an eye on her, maybe she is feeling better now."

"Well, she is not exactly in a good mood," she said, walking with him toward the door. "I was there a few minutes ago and she was grumpy, just surfing channels on the TV."

"All right. I'll stop by again when I finish my visit."

"Good luck." She winked at him. "You'll need it."

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED


	9. Awakening

It had been an unpleasant night, nightmares filled her dreams, her mother dying in her arms over and over, and after that, the vision of Barbara dying haunted her. She woke constantly, hearing the "beep" of a flatline, announcing the redhead's death, but it was all part of her restless sleep. The only way to stop the dreams was to slip silently inside the redhead's room and sit in a corner to sleep. She left before Jim, who slept on a couch inside the room, awoke.

She was sitting on the couch with the TV on at a low volume while Jim was inside Barbara's room. He spent many hours sitting a vigil over his daughter.

The door of the room opened and a counselor entered.

"Good morning, Helena."

Dammit.

"How are you?" the woman said.

The girl glared at her a brief second before returning her gaze to the TV.

The doctor sat on a couch in front of the brunettte and opened her notebook. She took out a pencil. "We have an appointment."

She didn't have any appointment. The teen changed the TV channel.

The doctor looked at her. It seemed the girl wasn't going to be easy. "Helena is your name, right? My name is Dr. Sharon Smith."

Helena kept staring at the television, ignoring the woman.

"I know this is not easy for you, but you must face what's happened and you need to express your feelings. Keeping the pain inside hurts more. You lost your mother, that is hard and I know your friend is hurt. You don't have to try deal with it alone. Let me help you."

The brunette increased the volume of the TV a bit.

The counselor sighed and stood in front of the television. "Just listen to me for five minutes, okay?"

Helena glared at her.

"Hiding your grief is more painful than facing it," the doctor said, turning off the television.

It would be more painful for the stupid counselor when she kicked her ass.

The woman sat close to her. Helena hated when people invaded her personal space without permission.

"Talk me about how you feel."

The brunette faced her. "I feel that I want watch my show."

"Denying your feelings is not good." The woman smiled at her. "Why don't you try, just once to express what are you are feeling."

"I'm not feeling anything," the brunette grumbled.

"At first, we tend to deny the loss has taken place, and may withdraw from our usual social contacts. This stage may last a few moments, or longer. It is healthier for you to face this and make this short."

This lady really was testing her limits. She really was not in mood for this.

"Tell me about your mom," the doctor said, touching her arm.

"Don't touch me." Helena warned, jerking her arm back.

"You can't hide your feelings forever. I know what you are feeling."

"No, no one knows what I'm feeling, no one knows what is inside me. You don't know me, I don't know you, leave me alone," Helena snarled.

"I want to help you." The doctor touched her arm again.

Angry, the girl grabbed the doctor's wrist as her pupils contracted, changing into convex shaped disks.

"I said do-not-touch-me," she growled, closing her fingers against the therapist's wrist.

The woman winced in pain and fearfully noticed the change in her eyes.

"Miss Helena, no." A firm voice behind her said.

The brunette turned her head, ready to pounce on the new intruder.

It was Alfred.

"I think you can talk with her later, Dr. Smith." He looked the woman. "It's still too soon to touch such a delicate subject, about which she is obviously not ready to talk."

The old woman nodded, scared.

Alfred looked at Helena straight in her eyes with no fear and then toward her fingers, which still had a strong grip on the counselor's wrist. She understood and hesitantly released the woman's wrist.

Doctor Smith exited the room as fast as she could.

Alfred stared at the girl, who lowered her head. "Miss Helena, you know it is not good for you to react in that way."

"She was pissing me off," Helena mumbled, crossing her arms and resting her back on the couch.

"Yes, but you know you can't let people know who you are."

"I asked her to leave me alone," the brunette explained, trying to make him understand, "but she kept pushing me until…"

"Until you couldn't control your temper." He lifted his eyebrow. "You know that is not correct."

Helena shrugged her shoulders and nodded. She couldn't be mad at him.

"However, it is sometimes necessary to kick them out. I know how annoying the social service women can be." He winked at her. "Just don't show your meta skills."

Helena smiled lightly at him.

* * *

She felt numb and sick. Her entire body hurt, as if she had been beaten for hours. She tried to open her eyes but they were heavy. Images flowed in her mind like a movie.

"Catwoman is survived by her only daughter, Helena. Ms. Kyle has been romantically linked to the enigmatic millionaire Bruce Wayne."

She dialed Selina's house, she needed to find Helena. The kid must be scared and terrified, Selina didn't have any other family. She was orphaned at a young age and learned how to be independent by quickly learning how to survive life on the streets. She had the scars to prove it. With no family, Helena was alone in the world.

Lighting flashed and thunder rumbled. The power went out and the entire place turned dark. She heard knocks at the front door.

"Helena!" Barbara ran to the door to answer it. She opened the door. Big mistake, her concern for Helena had caused her to commit a big mistake. Her eyes widened in surprise.

The Joker was standing in front of her. He raised his gun, cocked it and fired.

There was a blinding flash, no sounds.

She suddenly felt wrapped in a deep fog, and an intense pain in her gut made it clear he had hit his target. Her mind felt drugged. She heard the Joker's voice in the distance and turned her head to look at him.

"Knock, knock ... Who's there?" He still held his gun out in front of him, pointed at her. "Batgirl ... past tense."

Barbara felt warmth underneath her. She knew it was blood, her own blood.

The Joker laughed maniacally in triumph.

Her body shook, her vision was blurred, the pain was intense. He kneeled next to her and moved his fingers to her robe to open it.

"No…" Her eyes snapped open and she tried to stand up.

Jim Gordon, seated on a chair next to her, reacted immediately. He tried to hold her down with a hand on her shoulder. "Easy, Barbara, you are safe."

She struggled and he had to use both hands, trying to keep her down, but she was really strong. He never thought she could have such strength.

"Barbara, you are safe, it's me!"

"No!" Her fingers grabbed her father arms like pincers, burying her nails in his skin.

"You are okay, calm down," he said.

Suddenly, she recognized him. "Dad?" The redhead winced in pain.

"Don't move, you are hurt."

"Dad…" she moaned, resting her head on the pillow.

"Easy, you were shot, your neighbor found you," he, explained, brushing her hair, "you are safe now."

"Is it serious?"

"Almost, one of the bullets barely missed your spine. Thank God it didn't happen. You will be okay, but you need rest." Jim kissed the fingers of her hand.

The redhead tried to clear her throat. "My throat is sore," she mumbled.

"You had a breather for a day, but you will be okay."

The young woman examined the place slowly with her eyes. "How long was I out?"

"Almost four days."

The memories of that night returned to her mind. She shivered remembering him pointing at her with that gun. She closed her eyes, still feeling a bit sleepy.

"Was him…" she mumbled. "It was him." Barbara tried to move her body to a more comfortable position.

"Babs, I need you to calm down, you are still healing," Jim told her, pressing his hand gently into her shoulder.

The redhead took a deep breath. She was still a few seconds, the images hit her head creating chaos in her mind. She was showering, then the shot, people frantic around her, a vehicle in movement, the hospital.

"Joker…" she mumbled, "he shot me."

"I know. Batman caught him. Don't worry, he is in prison now."

The redhead closed her eyes, organizing her thoughts, all was so confusing. Suddenly, a name came to her mind.

"Helena?" her eyes snapped open. "Where is Helena?"

"She is okay, Barbara," he said, taking her hand and still brushing her hair. "She is safe."

"Selina?" Green eyes stared at him in shock. She still hope the woman was alive.

He shook his head. She felt a knot in her throat, knowing what it would mean for her young daughter. Helena was alone in the world, she didn't have family. She was the only person she had.

"Where is Helena, Dad?"

"She is outside. She hasn't moved from here the last three days."

"How is she?" the redhead asked softly.

"You can imagine, her heart is shattered."

"May I see her?"

"You need to rest, you were seriously injured. You survived by a miracle."

"Please-"

"Please, Dad." She pressed his fingers.

He couldn't deny anything to her. He nodded and leaned to kiss her forehead. He stood up and opened the door of the private living area.

* * *

Helena sat with Alfred in the living area. She didn't know why, but she felt comfortable with him. He never seemed to be in a hurry or stressed, everything about him was controlled. He seemed be a wise man, every answer was always smart and exact.

He had always been nice to her. Her mother had respected him, and she sometimes had seen her listening to his advice. It was very rare in her.

He had been talking to her and his talk had made much of her anger from the counselor disappear. She felt more calm now.

The door opened and both turned their heads. It was Barbara's dad.

"Alfred." He smiled.

"Commissioner Gordon, good morning," the butler said. "I came to check on Miss Barbara."

"She is doing fine," Jim shook his hand. "She is awake now."

Helena's face brightened.

"I'm very glad to hear it, sir." Alfred said.

"Thanks Alfred."

The commissioner looked at Helena who had a big smile on her face.

"Is she okay?" Helena asked.

"Yes, she wants to see you. Just don't let her talk too much, she is still weak and needs rest."

The teen nodded and hurried toward the door.

As soon as she disappeared, Alfred mumbled. "Poor kid."

"Yes." Jim scratched his head. "I've had to hold back social services, they wanted to pick her up. I don't like it, but I had to use my influence. Her mom just died and the child was desperate for Barbara's health,."

"How long?"

"I asked them for a few days. Now that Barbara finally is awake, I think it will be easier for her."

"I don't think it will be easy," Alfred said.

"I mean, she won't have to worry about what happened with Barbara, they are good friends. Barbara can help her face it."

Alfred didn't think Helena would accept being under the supervision of a government institution.

"I'll call Leslie, she needs to check Barbara."

* * *

TO BE CONTINUEDT


	10. Planning

Helena stepped inside the room, feeling her heart thumping hard. Barbara was lying on the mattress with just a thin blanket covering her from the waist down. An IV was still connected to her arm. She had her eyes closed, her skin was pale, she looked as fragile as glass.

The "beep" of the monitor signaled the rhythm of her heart. Beating, strong.

She walked slowly toward her. She didn't want to bother her rest. Helena stopped close to the bed. She stayed there looking at the redhead in silence.

Barbara seemed to sense her because she opened her eyes slowly and offered a weak smile. Helena was silent as a cat, as always.

"Hey," Helena whispered. It was a miracle, she was awake again, and smiling. "How do you feel?

"Sore… How are you?" Barbara looked for her hand.

Helena moved her hand to her and laced their fingers. The teen shook her head, she hurt so much that even if she wanted to talk about it, she couldn't find words. The important thing was that Barbara was back.

"I'm sorr,y Helena, I was trying to locate you when…"

"Don't talk…" the young girl whispered, squeezing her hand gently. "I'm so glad you are awake, you scared me so much."

"I'm sorry, your mom was a good friend. She loved you so much. I wanted to be there with you." Barbara's felt her vision blurred with tears.

The young girl bit her lips and felt tears coming to her own eyes. "It hurts so much…" she mumbled, "hurts…"

"We will face this together, okay?" the redhead said.

Helena nodded, tears pouring silently down her face.

"Helena…" the redhead felt the girls fingers pressing hers harder, indicating the desperation inside her. A knot former in her throat at the anguish Helena's face.

"Come here." Barbara extended her free hand to her.

The girl leaned over, kneeling on the floor and resting her head on the redhead's arm, crying. She could cry with her, Barbara understood, she knew her. Barbara brushed dark hair with her free arm.

"I'm sorry, Hel." she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

It was difficult to try to explain things she didn't understand. Helena had lost the person she most loved in the world and her only family and home.

"It hurts so much…." Helena hiccupped.

Barbara caressed her hair , trying to comfort her. She knew it was difficult, but it was the only thing she could do as Helena cried long and hard, holding her arm tight.

The redhead noticed Leslie opening the door.

The old woman saw the crying child, Leslie watched her with sadness for a moment. The poor girl was living the worst days of her life. She needed to release the intense pain inside her soul. As she stepped back to close the door, Leslie wiped at her own eyes. Selina had been her friend too.

* * *

Barbara was recovering. Her body was reacting to the surgery and the medication. The IV was removed the next day and she could start to eat soft food. Helena's deep sadness had a small light of happiness, seeing that the redhead would be okay. Maybe not right away, but soon.

Jim was worried about the pressure of Social Services, they wanted to pick up Helena. Iit had been almost eight days since that terrible night and they insisted that she needed medical attention and orientation. With no legal power over the girl, he couldn't do much more than he had.

He needed to explain it to Helena, hoping she would understand what would happen.

He chose to talk with her while they ate lunch downstairs at the hospital.

The girl had been silent, as always. This would be hard. The nightmare that she was living was hard to endure. The pain of seeing her mother killed in front of her eyes was an unforgettable memory that always would be with her.

"Helena," he finally said, "there is something you need know."

Blue eyes looked at him with a serious expression. "Barbara?"

"No, no," he shook his head, "She is fine, she will be fine."

The kid sighed with relief.

"It's about you."

"Me?"

"Child Protective Services has been looking for you," he explained. "They want to take you to a children's home."

"A children's home? Why?" She let her fork fall on the plate.

"Because you are only sixteen. You are a minor."

"But I have a home. My home. The apartment." She didn't need to go to any place, she had her own house.

"Yes, but according to the law, you have to have parents or family that can take care of you." He moved his head. "But in your case, you don't have family. So, the state has the obligation of taking care of you until you are eighteen."

"I don't want to go!" Helena stated, outraged.

The old man exhaled, moving his coffee, "I'm sorry, but this is not something you, Barbara or I can choose. They have been insisting on picking you up. They say you need attention. I have been holding them off, but I can't hold them back anymore. I don't have any legal power, nor does Barbara. So, the state wants to protect you."

The brunette stared at him in shock. She couldn't leave her home! Inside were all her mother's things -- her clothes, her bed, her beloved paintings. Her own things were there as well -- her room, her stuff, her memories.

Jim played with his moustache a few seconds, the girl seemed to be disturbed.

"I promise I will ask permission to pick you up every eight days and take you to see Barbara."

"I don't want go." Helena said scared "They don't have right. I don't need to be protected."

"We can't choose, I'm sorry, Helena."

The girl nervously moved the fork on her empty plate. He was right. He and Barbara couldn't do anything. This was unexpected. "When are they going to come?"

"They said tomorrow morning."

Helena was officially panicked. She tried not to show her fear to Jim.

"I can take you to your home to pick your clothes and…" he remembered, with sadness, Barbara. She was a orphan too, but she was lucky, she had him and his wife. It made it easier for the young redhead to endure her pain. Helena was alone.

There was a deep silence between them.

The brunette kept staring at her plate thinking. First her mother, then Barbara, now this. What the hell was happening? The world was turning upside down. She left the fork on the plate and inhaled deeply. Life sucked.

"We'll try to help. You know Barbara will never leave you alone."

"But I must go there…" she mumbled. "I can't go back to my own house."

"You can go back eventually, but you need… to wait until you are… eighteen."

"It's absurd, Jim. It's my mom's home, my things," she said to him. "I can do things on my own, I walk to my school every day."

"There are many legal issues that you still can't handle, Helena," Jim explained. "The law just wants to protect you."

"The law couldn't protect my mom," she said with a bitter voice. "Why are they so sure that they can protect me?"

She stood up and walked toward the restaurant exit.

"Helena…" Jim stood and tried to stop her "Helena, come back."

He didn't follow her. It was best to let her think alone. He took a sip of coffee and stared at the girl's empty plate. He felt bad for her, but he was sure the counseling and attention they could give her would be helpful. Now he needed to talk with Barbara. She needed to know, as well.

* * *

Helena's steps took her to Barbara's room. She leaned her back on the wall and rested her head on it too, closing her eyes.

Going to a Children's home was not the future she had planned. No way she would spent the next two years of her life with complete strangers just because the law said "it was best." No one was going to take her away from the home her mom had built for them.

She began to pace in front of the room, she couldn't sit around and wait. If Social Services got her, it would be over. They weren't going to put a hand on her…. the problem was that she didn't have any place to go, to hide.

Leslie would never agree to help her to escape Social Services, she was on her own.

* * *

Barbara's nurse helped her brush her hair. It was hard to move with the wound in her abdomen, it hurt if she reached too far. She had learned that when she had tried to stretch that morning. She hated hospitals, hospital food and hospital gowns.

When the nurse finished, she helped Barbara lean back in her bed. It was not in a position that let her sit up all the way and it was still painful to move. The doctor said she needed to be in the hospital for another five days before she could go home.

She was worried about Helena. The kid had faced a terrible tragedy and Barabra wanted to recover as soon as possible so she could help her. Who could have imagined that a crazy man would stab Selina in a street full of people and in front of her daughter? Her father had told her the police were still was investigating, trying to find the murderer.

Soft knocks at the door called her attention.

"Come in," she said, arranging the blanket over her waist.

"Hey." A dark head appeared.

"Hey, come here… How was lunch?"

"Uh…" Helena walked inside. "Fine? Jim is nice."

"Yes, he is… Dad looks as like very tough man, but he is very sweet."

"He scared me so much when I was younger." The brunette pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed.

"Really?"

"Yes, he just looked at me like I was an alien."

Barbara smiled, remembering her dad didn't like the idea that she and Selina were be good friends, mainly because of the rumor that she had once been Catwoman.

For instance, acting as the occasional babysitter of Selina's child was an idea that he thought was dangerous.

"But he has been nice with you here…"

"Yeah." The teen nodded. "He let me stay here. He helped me with my mom's stuff…"

The redhead observed her in silence for long seconds, Helena was avoiding looking at her straight in her eyes.

"How are you?" she finally asked the girl.

"Fine. Did you know that the doctors said you can go home soon."

"Yes." Barbara noticed Helena was avoiding talking about herself. "Believe me, I will be very happy go out of here."

"They said you will start to walk soon."

"I took my first steps a few moments ago." The redhead said, "It hurt like hell. I felt like a baby."

"But it's good you have started to walk." Helena smiled at her.

"Yea, but I'll need therapy for a few months."

"Why therapy?"

"Just to help me to walk again. The shot was close to my spine."

"I heard your dad say you were close to being crippled." The brunette laced her fingers nervously.

"Yes, I'm lucky." Barbara noticed the light movement. Helena seemed to be stressed, she wondered if it was because she was still wrapped up in her own pain.

"I'm really happy for you, your dad was really worried."

"Yes, I appreciate that you stayed here… with all that happened."

The young girl lowered her head, she didn't have any other place to go, she was alone. Barbara was the only person she trusted and, now, she needed to leave. She didn't want to do it but it was her only choice, she didn't want to be locked up in some home with strangers.

Green eyes looked at the girl. She was thin and pale, the weight of her pain from the last few days were evident in her appearance "Are you okay, Helena?" Barbara asked again, gently.

"Yes, just tired." The young girl lowered her head, trying not to cry.

Barbara exhaled. Helena was not a good liar. "You don't have to lie to me."

"I just need to sleep a bit and I'll be okay," the brunette said, trying to sound animated.

"You can talk to me anytime."

"Ok. Thanks." She stood up, she couldn't stay any longer. She felt tears coming again to her eyes.

"Where are you going?" Barbara asked.

"You need to rest and…" she waved her hands toward the door, "and I want go back home and pick up some clean clothes."

"Ask my dad to give you a ride."

"Oh no, Gibson's mom told me that she… she will pick me up…"

"Gibson's mom?"

"He has been calling me every day," she moved in her place nervously, "asking me how it's going, and asking about you too."

"Dad could give you a ride," the redhead insisted, she didn't like the idea of Helena heading home alone. Clearly, the girl's pain was still very raw.

"He is worried about you and I… I don't want him to have to leave you, he has been done enough for me."

"Okay, come back soon."

"Sure, sure…" Helena stepped back slowly, "I'll be back in a few."

The brunette stopped at the door, looking back at Barbara for a moment. She was very pained by the idea of not see her again anytime soon. At least she was okay now. Helena needed to focus on herself.

"Bye," she said quietly, stepping outside.

"Bye…" Barbara waved her hand, even as her intuition told her something was wrong.

* * *

Barbara's father returned to the room an hour later. He had finished lunch and made some phone calls to his office. When he opened the door, he found his daughter reading a book. She had always loved books, since she was a girl. She used to get lost in her fantasies.

Now, he needed to talk with her about Helena's situation. He didn't see the girl around, which was good. He wanted to speak with Barbara alone. Having Helena close would be uncomfortable for the poor child.

She smiled as soon as she saw him appear in the door frame.

"Hi Daddy," she greeted, closing the book and resting it on her legs.

"Hey Babs, feeling better?"

"Yes, thanks." She kissed him on his cheek, "Just a bit uncomfortable, it's not pleasant to be in bed all day."

"I understand. Do you want me to help you with the pillows behind your back?"

"Yes, please." She leaned downwards carefully. "How was lunch with Helena? She said you were very nice with her."

"It was good." He arranged the pillows behind her back, "We ate big burgers."

"Now I understand why she finally ate something. She loves junk food."

"She eats as much as a small army," he said, helping her lean back again.

"Tell me about it." She reached for his hand and squeezed it. "Thanks."

She knew he didn't like the girl so much just because of Selina. She was a woman that he distrusted. His detective instinct was strong and he was right about his feelings. Selina was once Catwoman, but he failed thinking she was still a criminal. She changed so much when Helena was born.

"We need to talk about Helena." He sat down in the chair that Helena had pulled up to the bed.

She didn't like the tone of his voice.

"Something wrong?" Barbara asked, concerned.

"Child Protective Services has been looking for her," he explained to the redhead, brushing his moustache with his fingers. "They want take her into custody."

"Oh God." That was like a cold shower for the redhead. She had forgotten the legal issues with orphans.

"She is just sixteen-- a minor and an orphan." Jim leaned back in his chair. "We are not her legal guardians or family. The law is very clear about it. This was going to happen sooner or later."

Barbara was annoyed, she knew about laws and he was right. They couldn't ask or demand anything, they didn't have any legal power over Helena. "Dad, this is terrible. She just lost her mother."

"I know, but…" he sighed, feeling really bad, "we can't do anything."

"Locking her up in a children's home will kill her. She's been so sheltered."

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, I asked and I tried, but I could only delay them for a few days. Now I can't hold them off anymore. They will pick her up tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow morning? That is too soon!" This was so unexpected.

"I know, I already talked with her… She needed to know."

"What did she say?" The redhead brushed her hair back, trying to think of a solution.

"You know, she didn't like the idea… but she needed to know, she had a right to know."

"We can't let them…" Barbara analyzed the situation, Helena would never go to a Children's home, she was a sweet girl, but stubborn and hard headed. The main risk was that she is meta. All it would take would be her getting angry once and people would discover who she was. Her dad didn't know about Helena's unique skills, and she thought it best not to tell him. It would mean too many explanations… None of which she was inclined to give.

If people found about Helena, they would try to use her as a guinea pig.

"Barbara…" Jim said, resting his hand over hers, "we are not her family, you must understand. I know all of this has been hard, but we are not responsible for her."

"I know, I know, I'm thinking."

Barbara let her head fall on the pillow and closed her eyes. It would break her heart to see Helena in the hands of a stranger. She loved the girl, but try to adopt her would take a long time and she would have trouble getting it to go through. She had many things against her.

Selina would die again if she knew that her beloved child would end up as an orphan in a Children's home.

When Barbara was thirteen, her mother and father were tragically killed in an automobile accident (due largely to her father's drinking problem). After the accident, her uncle, James Gordon and his wife (also named Barbara) adopted the orphaned Barbara.

If they hadn't been there, she surely would have spent all her childhood and teenage years in a children's home, alone. She didn't want that for Helena.

"I told her I can pick her up every eight days and…" Jim said.

"I can request a legal guardianship," Barbara interrupted him.

"Excuse me?"

"I can ask for a legal guardianship."

He couldn't believe what was he hearing, but his daughter's voice was clear and firm. She wasn't joking. What was she thinking? She couldn't be responsible for a teenager.

"I know the law. I can do it, Dad."

A legal guardianship gave an adult who was taking care of a child the _formal_ authority to provide for the child's needs. With a legal guardianship, a non-parent could give a child a safe home.

"Barbara, I don't think…"

"A legal guardian has the same responsibilities for care and control of a child as a parent does. A legal guardian must feed and clothe the child, provide for the child's education and medical attention. A legal guardian must also be kind and loving toward the child. I know her, she knows me, I can do it. I can raise her."

"Babs, you must think about this.." He covered her hand with his palm. He didn't want to see her restless, she was still recovering, and knowing how stubborn she was…

"Setting up a legal guardianship is a simple process." Green eyes shone.

Barbara began to talk faster, trying to explain. She was so excited about the idea, it must work, it was perfect!

"First," she said, "I do not need lawyers. My petition of legal guardianship will not have objectors, because Helena doen't have family. Second, any adult, eighteen or older, can serve as a legal guardian for a child under eighteen. Third, I'm good with paperwork and I can fill out the forms and petitions and give them to the court. The Department of Social Services will investigate me to see if the legal guardianship will be good for the child. I have a good reputation, Dad, you too, I can do it. The court will schedule a date for a hearing, at which time a judge will decide whether the legal guardianship is in the minor's best interest in just one session, no more."

"You are very sure, eh?" Jim asked, amused, squeezing her hand in a gesture of support.

"Call them," Barbara asked him. "Tell them I'll start the process. An adoption will be denied, I'm young, I'm single, and you know how long it would take, but, if I ask for a guardianship, it will be easy. I need you to get me all the necessary paperwork."

"It's a great responsibility, Barbara."

"I know, but I can't leave her alone. I know how she is feeling now, I know how empty you feel when you lose your mother. I was an orphan too, remember?"

Jim bit his lips, thinking. Why was it so damn hard to argue with her?

"You and Aunt Barbara helped me survive my pain." Barbara cupped his cheek with her hand. "I couldn't have done it alone. I can't let Helena face her grief alone. I know what it would mean and I don't want that for her. If I can help her, I'll do it."

"I understand, Babs. Don't worry. I can work on it."

"Tomorrow?"

"First thing."

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED...


	11. What am I going to do, Mom?

**Thanks for your post and comments, i'm glad you are enjoying this fic.**

**jag**

* * *

"Hey, Babs. How are you?" Dr. Leslie Thompkins walked inside the room checking the redhead's chart..

"Fine. Great. Love it here," the redhead grumbled, struggling with her blankets.

"Again in conflict with your bed?" Leslie said, amused. Barbara wasn't used to resting. "Easy, you will hurt yourself."

"It's stiff," she complained, moving her hands back at the moment that Leslie moved closer to help her to arrange the blankets.

"It isn't stiff, you complain too much," Leslie said. "How are you? The nurses said you have been particularly happy today, may I ask why?"

"I'm filing for legal guardianship of Helena."

"Excuse me?" gray eyes stared at the redhead.

"It's an easy procedure."

"That is like an adoption, are you sure do you want be responsible for a kid?"

Barbara looked the old woman with serious expression. "It's Helena, Leslie."

"That is exactly my point," she crossed her arms, "have you thought this through? She is a child that needs a lot of attention; you are a busy woman who works hard at day and at night." The doctor looked at her pointedly. "You know which job I'm talking about."

"I have."

"Barbara…" Leslie shook her head, trying to understand "Have you considered that if something happens to you, Helena may not be able to deal with that?"

"Leslie." The redhead frowned.

"Barbara."

The young woman blinked, trying to understand Leslie's reaction.

"Barbara, you are out almost every night. What excuse will you give her to justify your long absences?" Leslie asked. "Or are you going to tell her you are Batgirl and just leave her waiting up every night for you to return? What will happen if you are seriously injured?"

"What do you want me to do, then?" Barbara faced her. "Let the social services pick her up? Leave her with strangers? They surely will discover she is meta and what will happen to her then? Is that what you want?"

"No, I want you to avoid making a big mistake and make things worse. I want you to think hard about the next step."

"I have thought about it pretty well."

"I hope so, for her sake and for yours."

"I thought you would be happy with this."

"I would be, if you weren't playing superhero at night, risking your life. And now…" Leslie paced the room, annoyed. She had always been disturbed knowing that Bruce and Barbara fought crime at night. She had always been a pacifist. "And now you tell me that with your crazy life, you want to adopt a teenager? And not any teenager, a half-meta teenager! You know how difficult teenagers are! You know how special Helena is… Barbara, please! Are you really ready to handle her?"

"Yes!" Barbara growled. She was going to help Helena and no one would stop her.

The old doctor lifted her eye brow. She was quite sure that Barbara had no idea what she was doing. She thought Barbara was too young to deal a with the force of nature that was Helena, and that she would be in trouble when she discovered that it was not easy be a "mom," and less so to be a single "mom" and a "crime fighter" at the same time.

"I still think it's a mistake," Leslie mumbled.

"I still think it's right," the redhead insisted.

A deep silence filled the place.

Leslie suddenly laughed. Barbara stared at her in confusion.

"Well said." The old woman said.

"What?" Green eyes blinked, trying to understand.

Leslie stood close to her and smiled gently. "I just wanted to be sure. This will not be easy, but if you are so determined to do it, then you will do it. I'm glad you really want take to care of her. I just hope you realize she's the only person I know that is more hard headed than you."

Barbara narrowed her eyes. "You… you…"

"Come on, you love me taunting you," Leslie said, patting her arm and checking the monitors around her. "You are doing pretty well, I think I can remove some of this stuff now."

"I hate you."

"Most of the time you love me," Leslie said, using a tongue depressor to examine Barbara's throat. "Good… you look good. Did the nurse change your bandages this afternoon?"

"Yes. Do you know sometimes you can be really annoying?"

"People say it, but I don't believe it." She took her pencil and made some notes on Barbara chart. "I'll change your bandages tomorrow to see how your wounds are healing."

"Whatever.. Is Helena in the living area?"

"Nope." She made a few more notes.

The redhead sighed and looked the clock on her bedside table.

"She said she was going to pick up some clothes with Gibson and come back. She left at three."

"It's just seven o'clock. Give her time. She has spent so much time locked up here."

"I want to tell her."

"You will, big girl, you will." Leslie winked at her and took some pills from her pocket. "Now, take these."

* * *

It was a weird feeling. She felt a warmth enveloping her as soon as she walked inside her home – through the window, of course. The apartment was in one of the most luxurious areas in the city. She knew that if the doorman noticed her walking inside, he would report her immediately. So she had chosen to free climb it.

Her night vision let her see as clear as day. Everything was in the same place as it had been that day. It seemed as if the woman that cleaned the place was still doing her job. She checked the front door. It was locked.

She walked around her home. It was surreal, her mother's touch in each painting on the wall, in each sculpture. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Her fragrance still lingered. It felt so good to smell her again. She was starting to forget it.

She sat on the couch in the living room, staring silently at the walls and furniture for long minutes. She was in her home. It was still her home and they wanted her to move out of there. No way she would do it.

She didn't know how long she was just there, sitting. It seemed as if she would hear the front door opening at any moment and see her mom walk in with a big smile on her face.

She felt so tired, so dead. It was hard to describe all the emotions inside her. She finally stood up and walked to her mother's bedroom. The door was closed, she put her hand on the knob and turned it slowly.

The room was just as had been the day that they left, the red coat her mom hadn't worn was resting over a single couch close to the window. Her shoes close to the night stand.

The brunette locked the door behind her and walked toward the nightstand, she picked up a picture of her and her mom hugging and smiling with Mickey Mouse ears.

She laid down on the bed staring at the picture. It had been a year ago, on her 15th birthday. They had gone to DisneyWorld and spent an incredible week there, having fun like kids. She sniffed back some tears.

A sudden noise made her turn her head. It was the front door opening.

"Mom?" she mumbled, standing up.

Maybe it had all had been a nightmare, a bad dream. An impulse to run and shout her name hit her, but she stopped. She listened carefully.

There were steps, not of one, but two people, and they were heavy. Men, not women.

Thieves?

A male voice called her name. She ran to the door and opened it a bit. She peeked out and saw policemen.

Her heard pounded against her chest. They wanted to take her away from her home. Not thinking, she put the photo on the nightstand and opened the bedroom window carefully to slip out to the balcony. They would surely look inside the closets and rooms.

Outside, she looked up. The rooftop was close, she jumped there easily and looked down. The light in the living room was on. Se noticed in a few seconds that the light in her mom's room turned on. She heard familiar noises. They were looking for her, as she had thought, inside the closets.

The policemen were inside her home for almost ten minutes. She noticed the lights turning off and the front door closing. She moved to the front of the building and looked down until she saw the two men walk outside of the building and get in their patrol car. When the vehicle turned the far corner, she walked back.

Easily, she jumped down to her mom's balcony and opened the glass door. She stepped in silently and checked all around. All clear.

She sat on the bed, she was in trouble. She needed to think of a way to escape social services, but now, she felt so tired and she was at her home and safe. She let herself fall back on the soft mattress.

She felt her mom was still there. She could smell her in the blankets, in the pillow; her clothes were still there. Helena hugged the pillow close to her nose and inhaled deeply.

She was not going to let them send her to any Children's home.

The young girl had been teary all afternoon. Now, locked in her mother's room, her scent still permeating the air, Helena cried until she fell asleep.

* * *

"She is running away, I'm sure of it," the redhead said, worried. Helena hadn't returned to the hospital the prior night nor in the morning. Now it was close to midday and she was still missing.

Jim tried to calm her. "I sent some of my men to look for her at her home, but they were there last night and she wasn't there."

"They won't find her." Barbara sighed, knowing Helena she would easily escape the police.

The man picked up a call on his cell at the time that Leslie entered in the room.

"She didn't come back after she left," Barbara told the doctor. "She was lying. I called Gibson and he told me he hasn't talk with Helena in days.

"She is not home." Jim said hanging up his phone, "My men checked everywhere, but it was empty. Everything was in order."

"She is there, I'm sure of it." Barbara shook her head. Helena could easily hide.

"Well," Jim said, walking toward her "I will send them to check your home, too. Where else might she go?"

"When a kid is scared, anyplace is good place to hide." Barbara sighed.

"We will find her soon, Babs, don't worry." Her dad rubbed the her back.

The part that worried Barbara was that she was very sure that Helena would find a way to survive using her meta-skills and, if that happened, the probability of finding her would be much less.

"I promise to check Selina's apartment before I go home today, okay?" Leslie said. "If Jim asks the doorman to open it, I'll do it."

"If that helps to make feel you better, I'll do it, Babs."

"Please," the redhead said.

"All right. I'll do it." Leslie smiled at her, "We will find her, be sure of it."

"I hope so, she is so afraid that strangers will take her," the young crime fighter said. "I understand how is she feeling. I felt in the same way years ago."

"Don't worry, I don't want you feeling stressed just because of this. It's not good for you," the old doctor said. "I promise I'll call you when I finish checking Selina's place."

The redhead nodded and stared at the window, it was starting to rain. Rain was beautiful, but when depression was close, it was not a nice partner.

* * *

Lasagna. It was great. The brunette licked her fingers after finishing another slice. It was good the fridge had still food and was full.

She was checking the bank account statements and other papers her mom had in a file cabinet. She was the beneficiary on all the accounts and, of course, she knew the codes to everything. The apartment was in her name and totally paid for.

That wouldn't be an issue. The issue was avoiding being caught by the social services guys and the police. They already had been there twice -- last night and this morning. She rested her cheek on her palm and stared at a picture of her mom on the table in the kitchen. She had put it there s as to o not feel so alone.

"What do I do now, Mom?" she mumbled. Her thoughts wandered to Barbara. How was be the redhead now? She had gone to the hospital last night and looked in on her through the window from the closest building. She seemed to be doing fine. Se had been playing cheese with her dad.

She sighed.

She had wished so much be close to her. She was like her family, the family she had already lost.

Her fine hearing drew her attention back to the apartment. There were footsteps. Something told her she needed to go. It could be the police again. She picked up the empty plates and put them inside the stove.

She then heard keys in the door. She picked up her mom's picture and ran toward her mother's room.

Leslie opened the door with the keys the doorman had lent her. As soon as she was inside, she detected a light movement at the end of the hallway. She was sure she had seen a shadow. She closed the door softly.

"Helena? It's me, Leslie. Are you here?" She walked toward Selina's room slowly. "We are worried about you. Barbara has been asking for you. Come here and we can talk. No one is angry, don't be afraid. Barbara is working on getting a legal guardianship, you can live with her and not go to the Children's home."

She opened Selina's room but it was empty.

She was sure she had seen the brunette around, she examined the place carefully, but everything was in place. She opened the window to the balcony. It opened easily and she walked outside. Looking around, she noticed the rooftop was close, an easy leap for Helena.

She had a feeling the shadow she had seen had been the teen. Knowing her meta skills, she could escape. She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms tapping her fingers against her upper arms.

She walked inside the room again and closed the window… She hesitated a few seconds looking at the door. She smirked and locked the door. She then walked to the living room and unlocked the glass door of the balcony there. If Helena was there, and she was quite sure she was, she would have a hard time finding out that the living room was now the door that was unlocked.

* * *

Well that had just sucked. Leslie had locked the door and she couldn't get inside again. She had run like hell, barely recognizing her voice when she had call her name as she was busy escaping and preparing to jump far away.

Things had turned worse when the damn rain had suddenly started. She was thinking seriously about breaking the glass when she had jumped toward the living room and checked to see if some of the windows were open. Luckily, one was.

Helena dried her hair in the bathroom and went toward her mom's room again. She sat on the bed and crossed her fingers over her legs. The place was so silent, so quiet.

"Mom, I need you," she mumbled. "I need you so much…"

She felt her heart clenching, her chest being squeezed by a heavy weight. How was she supposed to stop that anguish ripping at her soul? That sensation of loss and sadness? How could she stop the feeling of pain that stabbed at her heart and hurt like hell?

She used to hear her mom singing or listening to music. She picked up the remote from the night table and pressed the play button.

The first notes of "Voulez Vous" Abba started.

Her mom loved that group, the music was fun and had great rhythm. She used to dance with her mom to some of the songs.

Her home felt so empty.

The music was on, but… still she felt so empty.

"What am I going to do, Mom?"

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED


	12. Kitty is back

Leslie stepped inside Selina's apartment. She left a bag on the kitchen counter and walked around trying to find any trace of the brunette. She was sure the girl was hiding there. She walked around examining each corner.

Selina had exquisite taste in art and decoration. It was excellent. She wondered how much money was invested there.

"Helena? Are you there?" she asked in a loud voice. "Please, I want talk to you."

After long minutes she gave up. The girl surely was hiding again, far from the apartment. She stepped back in to the kitchen and opened the plastic bag. She removed some items and put them inside the fridge before leaving.

* * *

Barbara couldn't sleep, she had tried, but it was impossible. Her abdomen had been hurting with cramps almost all night and her mind wouldn't stop wondering where Helena could be.

She was stupid, how could she believe that lie about Gibson giving her a ride to pick up some clothes? When her father told Helena about the Social services looking for her, it was obvious the girl would feel scared try to run away. She was like a housecat who loved be petted and spoiled.

She just needed five minutes with the teen. Five minutes to explain what would happen, that she was fighting for her and she would get have custody.

The redhead winced and moaned, the pain was strong. Maybe she had moaned too loudly because her dad, who was sleeping close to her, woke.

"Are you okay?" he asked, sitting up.

"It hurts." She put her hand over her abdomen and closed her eyes in pain. Her wounds were still healing and these suddenly spasms of pain where common .

"I'll call the nurse Maybe you need a strong dose of that sedative."

"No, I'm okay. I'll be all right," she said.

"I don't think so." He stood up and pressed the button to call the nurse.

Barbara didn't answer, she bit her lips. Damn, it hurt. Maybe her dad was right about calling the nurse.

"Dad…" she winced "Did you take the papers to the Court?"

"Yes, I did. Now keep still for a bit." He took her hand. "You will hurt yourself if you move too much."

She hated feeling so useless. She hated just lying there while Helena was stuck in her deep grief. She never had felt so useless in all her life.

* * *

Leslie entered Selina's apartment that morning before going to work, the place was silent, she went straight toward the fridge and checked inside.

She smiled.

* * *

She sneezed.

Hard.

Those minutes outside when Leslie had locked the door had been enough.

She sneezed again.

She'd caught a cold.

Damn.

What the hell had Leslie been thinking when she'd locked the balcony door? Well, of course, she couldn't imagine that Helena was hanging around outside, waiting for her to go. Luckily, the living room glass door had been open. If not, she would have had to break a window and that certainly would have complicated things.

She wiped her nose with a kleenex and put a slice of chocolate cake in her mouth. She didn't understood how she hadn't seen it before. She loved chocolate.

Thankfully, with her meta skills would heal soon enough. She hated colds. They were so annoying.

Then, she coughed.

Great, this was just great.

Her eyes looked at the picture on the night table. Her mother would wrap her up and make her some hot chocolate. She would lay with her on the bed, snuggling close while they watched a silly movie.

She arranged the bed spread on her waist and changed the channel on the television as she ate another slice of chocolate cake.

Her mom.

No one could imagine that this would happen. They had planned go to Europe next summer, and now she was gone. Her mom was her support, her confident, she always felt protected by her. She had a strong character and a strong presence, always making heads turn when she walked into a room.

Elegant, tender, sweet. Selina often curled up with her when she watched TV and now she was in her bed, her big bed where she still could smell her. She hugged her pillow and buried her nose n it, wanting to fell enveloped by her scent, her warmth -- wanting to feel just for a moment that her mom was there, hugging her.

She couldn't avoid crying.

The emptiness she felt in her heart was too big to fill.

Why she had gone? She needed her so much.

She needed her now more than she never felt she would ever need someone.

* * *

Barbara nervously tapped her fingers against the cover of the book. Helena was still missing. Forty eight hours and no information about her. The poor girl must be terrified.

And she was trapped in that bed. She was sure Leslie had delayed her discharge from the hospital. She was finally leaving. In fact, she was seated in a wheelchair waiting for her father to pick her up, but it seemed the discharge papers had taken longer than expected.

She was sure it would be easily to find Helena once she was at home. The sound of the door opening was something she had been waiting for.

"Dad?"

It was Leslie. The old woman noticed the disappointment on her face.

"Hey, at least don't be so obvious," the woman said, "You'll hurt my feelings."

"Sorry, Les." The redhead blushed.

It was curious to see a redhead blushing. "Yes, I know your feet are itching to go to look for Helena, but don't worry, I know where she is."

"What?"

"I'm sure I know where she is."

* * *

Barbara had gone home and as soon as her father had gone – Leslie had promised take care of her that night- , the gentle doctor had helped the redhead to move her inside her car. They were off to look for Helena. Leslie drove toward the center of town. Barbara was surprised when Leslie parked her car in front of Selina's apartment building.

"What are we doing here?"

"I told you I know where Helena is."

"Yes, but I thought… the police have looked for her here and so have you," Barbara said.

"I know, but I had some suspicions that were confirmed this morning." The doctor opened Barbara's door. "She is here."

"How do you know?"

"Last night, I left some chocolate cake in the fridge. This morning, it was gone." She winked and stepped outside the vehicle to help Barbara into the wheelchair. The redhead was still not ready to do much walking.

* * *

Leslie opened the door of Selina's apartment and was greeted by silence. She looked around, the place seemed to be empty. Barbara waited in the corridor behind her. She still wondered how Leslie had convinced her to come here. The whole idea was absurd, she was healing. If her father knew she was out, he would kill her… well, maybe she would say the outing was under a doctor's supervision, that wasn't a lie.

She heard loud noises inside and rolled her eyes. Leslie could never have been a good vigilante. If Helena was inside and Leslie was trying to catch her, that wasn't the best way.

After a few minutes, Leslie reappeared and pushed the wheelchair inside the apartment.

"Leslie, with all that noise, I almost ran scared, too," the redhead protested.

"Just be quiet," the elderly doctor whispered and moving towards the large kitchen pantry. She pushed Barbara inside and stepped again toward the main door.

"Leslie, what the hell….??" Barbara started.

"Shhhh…." Leslie hissed, glaring at her.

Making a big noise, the doctor closed the door and walked silently to the pantry and pulled the door closed, leaving only a small crack from which they could see out.

"If you were a crime fighter, you would be dead in under five minutes," Barbara mumbled.

"Don't talk." Leslie waved her hand. "She can hear us."

"Us? You make as much noise as an army."

"Shut up or I'll tape your mouth."

Barbara sighed.

They remained still for long minutes. Barbara began to felt impatient. She checked her watch, they had been sitting in the dark for over ten minutes.

"Leslie, I…"

"Shhh, just be patient," the old woman whispered.

The redhead sighed. She still thought this was a very stupid idea. Helena couldn't be… suddenly, they heard the sound of a door opening. It came from Selina's room. Barbara felt her heart thumping hard against her chest.

After another few seconds, she heard a cough, and Helena's thin figure appeared. The girl went straight to the fridge and opened it. The girl sneezed into a tissue.

She took a bottle of milk.

"I told you." Leslie grinned.

The brunette arrested her movement and kept still, listening.

Barbara opened the pantry door.

"Helena."

The girl, terrified, jumped back. Wide blue eyes looked at them in surprise. Crap, they had caught her! They would take her to some children's home; she couldn't let them take her there. Moving faster than she'd ever moved in her entire life, she set the bottle on the table and ran toward her mother's room.

"Helena! Don't go! I need to talk to you!" Barbara shouted.

Leslie moved past Barbara and followed the brunette. She was fast. When Leslie arrived in the hallway, Helena had disappeared.

"She always uses Selina's balcony to jump to the rooftop," Leslie said. "Go there and speak loudly, she will be up there. I'll go to the roof."

The redhead pushed the wheels of the chair towards Selina's room. Damn, it was hard to handle the wheelchair. She bumped against the wall a few times before reaching the balcony. The glass door was half opened and she pushed herself out to look around.

Yes, she had definitely jumped to the roof. The next building was too far.

"Helena, I want to take you home!" Barbara shouted. "I want you to live with me! I filed with the courts!"

Hidden behind a water pipe, Helena crouched. She expected everything except seeing the redhead inside her house. She was supposed to be at the hospital. Helena had been there last night and watched her though the window. Barbara was lying. She was sure of it. She just wanted her to come down so she could take her to the Children's home. She didn't want to go there.

"Helena, please," she heard Barbara's voice again. How had she found her there? How had she known? "Listen to me. No one is going to take you away. You can live with me, but I need you to come back."

The brunette covered her nose and sneezed. Damn cold.

It would be best to move far from there. But, now what would she do? She couldn't go back to her house anymore and her stuff was there.

"Well, well, I found you." She heard Leslie's voice at her back.

Helena was hard to find, but the noise from her sneeze had helped the old doctor to catch her.

The brunette made an attempt to move, but Leslie pointed at her with her index finger.

"Don't you dare run away from me again!" Thompkins said with a firm voice, scolding the teen. "We need to talk. We have been worried sick about you for days."

"I don't want to go there." The teen growled annoyed, "I'm not going to move there!"

Leslie kneeled in front of her. "You are not going anywhere. Barbara is telling the truth. She has asked the court for custody, so you can live with her."

"Really?" Helena looked at her with an incredulous face.

"Yes," the old woman smiled. "Come on, you don't have any idea how worried we have been."

The teen stood up.

"And now help me to stand up because I think that my knees are stuck," Leslie grumbled in annoyance. "I'm not sixteen, you know?"

* * *

Barbara looked up impatiently. There'd been no answer. Maybe she had gone. She tapped the wheelchair's arm.

"Leslie? Is she there?" she shouted, looking up to the rooftop. It was a clear night.

She heard steps inside the apartment and looked inside, expectantly.

"We are here," Leslie announced from inside the apartment.

The redhead pushed the chair inside the room. As soon as she was inside, she saw Helena stepping in, wearing black sweat pants and a big white sweatshirt. She extended her arms to her and smiled in relief.

"Helena, you scared me."

The girl went toward her and leaned down to hug Barbara gently.

"I'm so glad you are okay."

"Never do this again." Barbara touched her cheek. "You are warm."

The brunette coughed and stepped back. "I have a cold."

"What happened?" the redhead asked, worried.

"Someone locked the balcony door the other night and it was raining." The brunette glared at Leslie.

"I was sure you were here." The doctor smirked.

"You knew? Why did you close the door then?" Helena protested.

"I like to play games, too." Leslie said, "Come on, a cold won't kill you. I'll give you some cold medicine and you will fine."

"Helena, don't worry," Barbara explained, "I asked the court for custody. You are not going anywhere."

"Really?"

"Really. I filed to be your legal guardian."

Helena sat on the bed and frowned. "What does that mean?"

"The guardianship is a legal arrangement in which an adult has the court-ordered authority and responsibility to care for someone under eighteen," she explained. "A guardianship may be necessary if a child's parents die. I filed the papers. The older the child, the more likely the judge will consider the child's wishes."

"It's a short procedure," Leslie added. "Six to eight weeks after the papers are filed, it should be complete."

"I think I will get it easily. I worked in social services long time and I've had good jobs, my father's reputation helps too."

"Do I have to stay at that place while they work on it?" Helena fearfully looked at Barbara.

"No, my dad asked for permission from the judge to stay with me while the procedure is authorized. He is an old friend and Dad explained your situation."

Helena suddenly felt a big relief inside her. This was good news.

"You don't need to keep hiding and running," Leslie said.

The brunette was silent for a few seconds. "What will happen to our home?"

Barbara looked at her; Helena could be thinking about the possibility of staying here. That hadn't occurred to her before. "Do you want keep living here?"

The brunette looked around, shrugging her shoulders. Her eyes checked every corner, every piece of furniture, until her gaze stopped at the nightstand where her mother's picture was. It had been her home, but now… now she was gone. She had nothing, just a photo, the memory of her smell, her laugh, her love…

"No," Helena said.

The sharp tone surprised Barbara and Leslie.

"No?" the redhead asked.

"She is not here…" Helena mumbled, finding something very interesting to look at on the floor. "It would never be the same…" She lifted her blue eyes to Barbara. The days she had been there alone had been terribly painful. Every corner, every object, brought back a painful memory of her life with her mom, a life that she could never go back to, a life that was lost forever. "My home is gone. Can we go now?"

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	13. New Home

The brunette was surprised when Leslie's car moved inside that amazing old building, it was the highest in New Gotham. The parking lot was huge, but Leslie drove toward a place that seemed to be private.

"What are we doing here?" the girl asked while the elevator moved toward the upper levels.

"It's our new home," Barbara said.

"Home? And your place?"

"Like you, I don't want to stay there, bad memories…" the young crime fighter explained. "And this place has a great security system. The code to access the penthouse is private."

"Penthouse? Wow."

The elevator doors opened and sparkling blue eyes marveled at the place. It was a cool apartment.

Barbara smiled noticing the look on the young girl's face.

"It's amazing," Helena said walking inside. "Is it really the penthouse?"

"Yes."

The girl ran toward the balcony doors in the living room.

"Seems that she likes it." Leslie smiled.

"Yes." Barbara agreed.

After the shooting, Barbara had discovered how vulnerable she was, so she'd begun to look for a place while she was recovering in the hospital. Bruce was the owner of the building and had suggested the place. He had already finished remodeling it and thought it was perfect for Barbara. It had a secret entrance and, at the top, was the old city clock.

The penthouse had two rooms, perfect for her and Helena, she just needed to buy the girl some furniture. With the Bruce's help, she had already had all her furniture moved to the penthouse.

"I think she is happy," Barbara said, watching the brunette on the balcony.

"Looks like it. What are you planning to do with Selina's apartment?"

"Keep it until Helena decides what she wants to do with it, I can send some one to keep it clean. It's too soon to force her to make a decision about it."

"Good idea."

"Hey." Helena appeared, suddenly, "That balcony is cool."

"So, you approve?" Barbara smiled.

"I love it!" Helena said, excited. "You can see the whole city below! This is the highest building in the city!"

"Good, let's celebrate your new home. I'm starving," Leslie said rubbing her hands. "Anyone want pizza?"

* * *

Leslie and Barbara drank a cup of coffee after dinner as they sat at the kitchen table. Helena had fallen asleep on the living room couch.

"She is really tired," Leslie noted, looking at the girl.

"It's been hard for her," Barbara said, "she lost her mother and had to face it all alone."

"It's a shame," Leslie shook her head, "Selina was a great woman and a wonderful mother. She loved her so much. Every time she talked about Helena her face lit up."

"Yes." Barbara nodded sadly. "She was her most valuable treasure. She changed her whole life for her. She was another woman after she was born."

"This will not be easy for you. She is filled with pain."

"I know."

The old woman sipped her cup of coffee and lowered the mug.

"It's good that you moved," she said to the red head. "It will be better for her."

"Yes," Barbara smiled, "you must see the upper level, it's a huge place."

Leslie looked around. "Where are the stairs?"

"You can't get there using stairs, just in the elevator and with a secret code."

"Good place to hide out." Leslie looked at her with a serious expression.

"Are you seriously thinking about continuing as Batgirl?"

The redhead took a deep breath.

When she and her father ran and won an election to the U.S. House of Representatives, she intended to give up her career as a superhero. However, due to the demands and the popularity of Batgirl, she returned.

When she lost her re-election bid, she then returned to Gotham City and took a job as a social worker. Batgirl was shot and nearly killed by the Commorant; this caused her to have a serious crisis of faith and she briefly retired as Batgirl.

After a talk with Batman, she returned to face down and capture the villain, and Batgirl continued to thrive.

But after that success, the ghost of retirement had been haunting her. Maybe the Joker's shooting and the fact that she had almost been paralyzed by one of the bullets were a clear signal that she needed to quit.

Helena needed all her attention and care.

On the other hand, she loved the adrenaline running through her veins, she loved the sensation of the cold wind against her face and the feeling of freedom as she crossed between building with the help of her bat-rope.

"I don't know," she finally admitted.

"You don't know?"

"I don't want to think about it now."

* * *

She was bleeding, she tried to stop the hemorrhaging unsuccessfully. She was bleeding so much.

She shouted at people to stop the murder, he was standing a few steps far from her. She tried to stand up to catch him, but she found her self stuck in something gummy. It was blood.

The blood became deep and she began to sink on it.

She yelled and fought in a desperate attempt to free herself.

She awoke, frightened.

Where was she?

Her eyes darted frantically around the room.

She remembered everything, suddenly. She bent her legs and covered her eyes. It was a nightmare, another one. She had nightmares almost every day. She stood up, drowsy, and walked toward the redhead's room.

She stood there a moment. Barbara was deeply asleep. she could tell from her breathing -- steady and low. She looked back toward the couch. If she slept there, the nightmares would come again.

Taking care not to wake up Barbara, she opened the door and slipped inside the bedroom. Barbara was still healing, Leslie checked her every day and said she was doing better. Helena paused, looking at her, hesitating. She gazed again toward the door.

Decision made. She moved softly and pulled back the covers of the empty side of the bed, slipping in silently. She kept on the far side of the bed to avoid waking or hurting Barbara. She rested her head on the pillow and watched her. She was sleeping peacefully.

She felt tired, very tired, but was afraid to close her eyes because the nightmare might come back, but her eyelids felt heavy. She blinked to keep her eyes open. The days had been so hard and tiring, this was the first time in weeks she felt calm, relaxed. Her eyes started to close.

She blinked again. She needed to stay awake.

…But the weight of her eyes was too much.

* * *

"How is she doing?" Leslie asked, checking the wound on the redhead's abdomen.

"Better, but closed off. She doesn't want to talk much and is in a bad mood. She tried, but she can't. She doesn't know how to express all the anger and frustration inside her." Barbara lied on her bed, observing Leslie's work.

"She is very temperamental, eh?"

"Yes," Barbara agreed. "I have found her in my bed a few times. I guess she feels alone."

"What did you say to her?"

"That I was glad she stayed with me to keep an eye on me. Knowing Helena, she would feel embarrassed for me to know that she feels alone or afraid. I want her to trust me."

"She already trusts you. You are healing pretty well." The doctor lowered Barbara's shirt and moved the blanket covering her legs.

"Yes, but things have changed. She is not a kid anymore and, well, you know, being a teenager is difficult…and more so in Helena's case."

"How are your legs now?" Leslie asked, touching her thigh.

"I can move it."

"Hurts?"

"No, not much." Barbara looked at her and winced.

"You were really lucky," Leslie took her calf and bent her leg slowly. "You would be paralyzed if the bulled moved a few centimeters to the right."

"Yes, I know."

"You need to start walking more." The old doctor extended the redhead's leg and bent it again.

"All right..."

"When will Helena return to school?"

"I think next week. It will be good for her to get back to normal routine." The redhead sighed, "It will never be the same, but she needs to live again. She helps me a lot, but I want her to get back to her life."

"And you?" the old doctor asked pointedly. "What about you and your life? Do you know what you are going to do now?"

"I'll keep working as a librarian in the…"

"You know what I mean."

Barbara remembered when she attempted to enroll at the local FBI office as a field agent. They dismissed her, citing many of the same reasons. It was ironic, that ejection had launched her career as Batgirl, but, as the years went on, she found her role as Batgirl less and less fulfilling. She had been so close to death, especially after her encounter with Cormorant. It had made her stop and think, think about what she wanted.

She, like Helena, was depressed. She didn't want to accept it, but it was time to recognize she could not be the kind of superhero she had been. She could no longer be Batgirl.

"No, I don't think I can keep being Batgirl," Barbara finally said. "It's not easy, you know?"

"I suppose not." Leslie crossed her arms, looking at the younger woman. Barbara had dreamed about being a superhero her entire life.

"Sometimes I ask myself how I can help an anger teenager when my own mood is as bad as hers."

"You knew this wouldn't be easy."

"I know and, for that reason, I must forget my fears and think of her first. I have to try." Green eyes locked on Leslie. "For her."

"I'm glad for you and happy for her. I would just suggest that you keep pushing her. She needs you, she needs you a lot."

"I would just love it if she wasn't so closed off." Barbara sat up on her bed slowly.

"Look who's talking."

"Come on, Les."

"You are as hard headed as she is, my dear." The old doctor smiled as she helped Barbara stand up.

"Well, no one is perfect, right?"

* * *

Helena stared at the city below her. The city was full of life. She wasn't sure if she would be able to smile again someday. Smiling, feeling totally happy, feeling at peace with herself. The seed of revenge had begun to grow inside her soul. She would find him, she didn't know when or where, but she knew she would find him.

She had considered jumping. She had meta skills, but even she couldn't survive a fifty floor drop.

She extended her arms and took a deep breath of the cold air. She just needed to take a small step and it would all be over. Her pain, the feeling of her world being shattered and destroyed. Barbara would be fine without her. She had her own life, she had her dad.

Helena had nothing.

She closed her eyes. The face of her mom, smiling, came to her. She was always so loving with her, so tender.

A tear slipped down her cheek.

She missed her.

"_That play was pretty good."_

"_It was a silly play." Selina giggled as they walked down the street toward a restaurant._

"_You loved it, Mom!" Helena laughed. "Come on!"_

"_Yes, but that doesn't mean it wasn't silly!"_

"_What about the main actor?"_

"_He was a cute guy."_

"_I love him!"_

"_You fall in love with every handsome guy you see."_

_They were so distracted that they didn't notice the man behind a street lamp. He suddenly turned and stumbled against her mother. She turned in time to see her falling to the ground. She watched the man who kept walking. Something was wrong, her mom didn't stand up or move. That was when she noticed the blood. Staining her mother's favorite dress._

_She kneeled next to her and tried to stop the bleeding, tried to call her, but she never answered. _

_She never opened her eyes again._

It happened so fast.

She was crying.

She lifted a leg in the air.

Just one step, and she would be with her again.

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	14. Beginning

"Don't do that," a voice behind her said.

"Why not?" Helena asked in an almost inaudible whisper, her gaze fixed on the lights far below her.

"Because I need you." The redhead approached slowly, assisted by a walker. Helena was on the edge of the balcony. She didn't want to make an abrupt movement and cause the girl to fall.

"You don't need me, Barbara," the brunette shook her head, "you have everything, health, work, family… a home."

"This is your home."

"No, this is your home."

"No, it's yours too, Helena. I wanted you living with me because I love you." Barbara glanced at the place where Helena was standing. She was on the edge. It would not be wise to push her too much.

"No!" Helena turned angrily to face her. "You feel sorry for me!"

"That is not true! Who told you that?"

The girl clenched her fist. "Barbara, you don't need me! You have everything, I have… nothing- I lost everything. My mom is gone…"

"But you are alive, she would hate to see you give up so easily." She took a step toward the girl. "I understand, Helena, I know how you feel."

"No! You don't know!" the teen shouted, moving her feet back.

"I lost my mother, too!"

Helena halted her movement and stared at the redhead. "But… you have your dad…"

"He is not my father."

The brunette narrowed her eyes. What was she saying?

"I lost my dad and my mom when I was thirteen." Green eyes were fixed firmly on blue ones. "My mom was killed in a car accident… by my father's drinking. His name was Roger. After the accident, he felt guilty and- began drinking heavily…" The redhead paused, feeling a knot at her throat when she remembered those hard and painful days. "He started taking his aggression out on me…"

Helena noticed Barbara's eyes were moist. She was not joking.

"I took on a great deal of responsibilities to cover for my dad, consoling myself by thinking my dad was not the same man I had once known. It was not easy, Hel, I was just a kid. But I tried. Eventually, the drinking and self-abuse caused his death. His brother, James Gordon and his wife adopted me. It's Jim. Jim is my uncle."

"Jim… is not your dad?" Helena mumbled, surprised.

"No, but to me he is," Barbara hugged herself, keeping her gaze on Helena. "l call him Dad because that's what he is for me, my dad. He took care of me, he guided me, and encouraged me to learn, to study, to not give up."

The young woman was speechless, with her eyes locked on the older woman.

Barbara stood up close to her. "I don't want to be your mother, I want you to live with me because I've known you since you were a kid. We were friends before all this, remember? Why did you look for me after what happened to your mom? Why did you stay and wait for me those long days in the hospital when I was recovering?"

Helena didn't know what to say. She lowered her head and closed her eyes, confused.

"I love you, Helena…"

The girl saw Barbara's fingers touching her hand.

"I don't want you to be alone locked up in some children's home with people you don't know. I want you to live with me."

The young girl took Barbara's hand and squeezed it. She felt the redhead pulling her down off the ledge and she gave in, falling into Barbara's embrace as she cried. It was so hard to explain the emptiness she felt inside her soul, her pain. Barbara wrapped her arms around her back and held her tight.

"I love you, Helena, I love you so much."

* * *

For the girl, her mother's loss had been a hard blow. Barbara had tried to soothe her pain, but it was an uphill battle. The teenager had lost her appetite, she looked sad and depressed. Sometimes it was frustrating that she couldn't help her more, Helena had unpredictable and violent mood swings, her pain had turned to anger and she was a loose cannon.

Barbara was walking on her own again and working as a librarian in the New Gotham library; Helena on the other hand, had returned to school. Barbara hoped it would help the girl organize her life again.

The sound of the door slamming, announced the brunette's arrival. The redhead looked up from the newspaper she was reading in the living room.

"I'm home!" she shouted.

"Here!" Barbara said, "Dinner is ready!"

The brunette appeared, wearing a black shirt with a skeleton on it and her black jeans. The earplugs of her walkman dangled from her ears. Barbara could hear the high tech music across the room, that volume would burst anyone's eardrums, except Helena's of course.

The brunette threw her school bag on the table and opened the fridge door. She took a carton of milk and sat at the dining table next to Barbara.

Barbara's newspaper's fluttered to the table and the redhead was frozen when she looked at the girl straight in her face. She had cut her hair short, revealing her ears. Her blue eyes were deep and sparkled, the color of her skin, the expression on her face.

It hit her like rock.

She looked like him.

"What?" Helena asked, noticing the strange look on Barbara's face.

The redhead kept staring at her with that dumb expression. She had his eyes. With her short hair, Barbara now noticed the same facial expressions that were so familiar on Bruce.

"Barbara, what's wrong? Did you burn the water again?" Helena smirked before drinking a bit of milk.

"It's…" Barbara muttered trying to find the words. That smirk didn't leave any doubt, it was his smirk.

"What?" Helena checked herself.

"No… nothing…. I.." the redhead stood up and went toward the microwave, "The lasagna is ready, do you want some?"

"Sure." The brunette frowned, Barbara was acting weird "Are sure you are okay?"

"Yes. I'll be working late in my room. If you need anything, call me…." Now she understood why some of Helena's movements or attitudes were too familiar.

"Sure." The brunette shrugged, "But aren't you going to eat first?"

"Oh yes," Barbara stared at her plate "Yes…"

The brunette shook her head.

* * *

Barbara used her magnifying glass and checked the picture. She observed it for a few seconds and taking another picture close to her, she put it under her magnifying glass. She then wrote a few notes in her notebook. Selina had always said Helena was half meta human, because her dad was a normal person.

She leaned back in her chair and read the notes she had written in the last fewhours.

There was a gossip in the newspapers that Selina and Bruce had broken up and that Selina had moved to Paris. They wrote that she didn't want to see him anymore. She had checked on the internet and found a picture of Selina at a dinner in Paris four months after she he had left and her pregnant belly was clearly visible. She was at least six months pregnant.

Using a program she had installed on her laptop, she cut Bruce's face and saved it, she pasted Helena's face and did an analysis. It was the third time she tried this.

After thirty seconds the test was finished with the same result.

Match. 78.5%.

When she mixed Selina's face the match increased to 88.9%

"Dammit," she mumbled, these programs were not the best source to confirm a clue, but it was a good start. "This can't be possible…" She let herself fall on her chair, thinking. Selina would have told someone who Helena's father was. But she was a very reserved person, she didn't have many friend….

She had reviewed many of Selina's documents in the past week, including Helena's birth certificate, but no more clues.

A name stuck in her mind.

Yes, she would have needed to know. She would have needed to know who he was.

* * *

Leslie checked her messages at her desk. It had been a really busy week in the hospital. Why did people love to be sick all at the same time? And now she had to go to that boring counselor meeting. She sat at her desk and threw some notes in the trash.

The buzz of the intercom called her attention. She pressed a button.

"Yes?"

"Barbara Gordon wants to see you."

"Barbara? Her appointment is not on Friday?"

"Yes, but she says it's urgent."

"Okay."

That was weird, Barbara hated her appointments, maybe it was trouble with Helena. The door opened at the time she finished her thought.

"Hi," she greeted, standing up. "What's up?"

Barbara looked anxious. The doctor waved her hand and the redhead sat down.

"Leslie," she said, "I know that you and Selina were good friends."

"True, Bruce introduced us," the old doctor said, sitting in her chair.

"She trusted you and she told you everything about her and… about Helena." Barbara crossed her hands over the desk.

"Yes," Leslie played with a pen between her fingers "It was important to understand what was happening with her genetics. You know they weren't normal people."

"You have been her doctor since she came back to New Gotham, she was still a child."

"Yes… and a demon of child." She waved her hand.

"What did Selina tell you about her father?"

The doctor's gaze fixed on the redhead. What did she have in her mind now? "Do you know who her father is?"

"I was going to ask you the same, do you know who her father is?"

"No."

Barbara exhaled, she didn't know why, but she was sure Leslie was lying. "Leslie, it's important."

"I know, but I don't know. Why is it so important now?" The doctor cocked her head "She has been ignorant of his identity all her life."

"But now Selina is not here."

"But you are."

"Yes, and I need to know." The young woman looked at her "Is Bruce Helena's father, Leslie?"

The old doctor frowned. "What?"

"I saw her!" Barbara stood up and paced in the room.

"Barbara," Leslie rolled her eyes "you have been seeing her since she was nine!"

"Leslie, she cut her hair yesterday," Barbara put her hands over the desk "you must see her now, she has his eyes, some of his attitudes. She smirks like him! I knew I had seen it before, but it was not until yesterday that all the pieces fell into lace!"

"I think your imagination is playing tricks on you." The doctor moved back in her chair.

"Selina trusted you," the redhead said. "She must have told you!"

"No." Leslie remained impassive.

"It's important, Leslie."

"Barbara, it's not important. It doesn't matter. Leave the kid alone, she doesn't need this now."

The redhead pinched the bridge of her nose. "You know who he is."

"I don't know who he is, and if I knew, I couldn't tell you," the doctor said calmly.

"Why not?"

"Because Selina had her reasons to keep his name a secret. And I'll respect that decision."

"She is his daughter."

Leslie just looked at her in silence.

"I'll prove it."

"Why is it so important?"

"Because she deserves to know." Barbara turned and left the office, annoyed.

Leslie kept playing with her pencil between her fingers and sighed. The woman was still so impetuous, rebellious, stubborn, just like Helena. She smirked, wondering how long it would be before the two of them would kill each other.

* * *

Helena sat at the dining room table, watching the redhead, who was absorbed in thousands of papers and computer notes over on the couch. Helena let her pencil fall to her notebook and crossed her arms. Barbara had been acting weird the last few days.

"What are you doing?" she asked finally.

"Library stuff," the redhead answered, distracted.

"I never thought working as a librarian would be fun…"

"Hey, being a librarian is not so bad."

"Could be worse." The brunette grinned.

Barbara lifted a piece of paper, "I just need to check some info."

"You have been stuck on this for days." Helena crossed her arms on the table, "Are you looking for a secret formula or something like that?"

"More or less," the redhead adjusted her eyeglasses on her nose, "how to cook without burning water."

The girl smiled, closing her notebook, "That hasn't been invented yet."

"Hey, if I can do it, we can sell it and be billionaires."

"Sure." Helena stood up.

"I need to go out, but will be back at nine."

"Okay, don't worry."

"Order a pizza, I'll be starving when I get back." Barbara closed her laptop and picked up her things.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	15. Who is your dad?

"Miss Barbara?" Alfred asked, surprised to see the redhead standing at the front door of the manor.

"I'm sorry, Alfred, but I need to talk with you. It's urgent," she explained.

"Of course, come in." He waved his hand toward the living room, noticing she was very disturbed. "Would you like some coffee?"

"Please."

They walked toward the manor kitchen. Once there, she sat at the kitchen table as he poured a cup of coffee.

"Something wrong, Miss Barbara?"

"Alfred, I need to talk with Bruce. When he is he returning?" The redhead knew Bruce had left the city a few days after Selina's death.

The old man looked at her with a serious expression. "Madam, I'm sorry but I don't think I…"

"I know he doesn't like people to know where he is," she interrupted him, "but really, Alfred, it's important."

"I'm afraid I can't give you that information because I don't know where he is. He just left, he was very hurt."

"When he will come back?"

"I don't think he will return anytime soon. The last time he left like this was when he was young and disappeared for almost seven years."

He noticed the disappointment on her face.

"But he said anything you need, you can take it. He gave you full control of the Wayne Foundation."

"What? You must be joking," she said.

"I'm afraid not, Madam." He went toward a drawer and took out a yellow envelope. He extended it to her.

"He wanted you to handle the Wayne Foundation."

Barbara opened the envelope, surprised. She had talked with Bruce about this, but…

Alfred was not joking.

"He told me he left you good resources for the development of your projects in new technology systems."

"The tech…?" The young woman blinked, she had talked with him about that too...

He interrupted her thoughts. "He found your last research about new technologies quite interesting and thought it would be helpful against crime," he said, refilling her cup of coffee.

Stunned, she looked at the papers in her hands. "I can't believe this."

"You must. He left everything in order for you. He trusts your decision making."

Barbara leaned back in the chair, this was so unexpected.

He looked at her, it was strange the news hadn't made her happy or excited.

"Something wrong, Miss Barbara?"

"I didn't expect this…" she mumbled, shaking her head.

"This is the reason you came, right?"

The redhead sighed and took a few seconds before lifting her head to meet his gaze.

"No…" she said, brushing her hair back.

"So…" he raised his eyebrow, "why are you here, then?"

"Well," she tired to organize her thoughts "I don't know…"

"You don't know? You looked pretty sure a few minutes ago."

"Maybe you can help me. You know Selina and Bruce were a couple." She waved her right hand. "I know the speech about the gentlemen never talking, but I need know."

He remained silent, listening attentively.

"It's just that… I saw her and I was seeing him…"

"I'm sorry, I don't understand, Miss Barbara."

"Is Helena Bruce's daughter?"

This time he couldn't hide the surprise on his face.

"Don't lie to me please," she pleaded.

He cleaned his eyeglasses with a cloth.

"Miss Barbara," he said, "where did you get that idea?"

"She has his look! His facial expressions! The way she looks at me.. it's him!"

He lifted his eyebrow. "Miss Selina never told you about Miss Helena's father?"

"No."

"Why, all of a sudden, do you think Master Bruce is Miss Helena's father?"

"He is! She has his eyes, his expressions!"

"You must be confused. All of this has been so sudden."

"You are his confident, you must know."

"I'm sorry if I can't help you this time, Miss Barbara." He shook his head. "He never said a word about Selina and their relationship. Ms. Kyle was as discreet as he."

She covered her face, feeling frustrated. But she understood, if he knew, he couldn't tell her, he was very respectful.

"I'm sorry," Alfred said again.

"No, no, it's okay." She nodded, "I know you can't…"

"Miss Barbara, Selina was a woman with many secrets, you knew her."

"It's true. I asked Leslie, but she says she doesn't know. In Selina's papers, there is nothing about Helena's dad, not a single word, nothing… But when I see her… I see him."

"If Helena was the daughter of Master Bruce, Ms. Kyle would try to keep the secret hidden for the safety of Miss Helena," he pointed out.

"True… it would be dangerous for her. If she was his daughter…"

"And…" Alfred started.

She looked him.

"…If she is his daughter, he doesn't know," he finished.

She nodded, Alfred was not a person that would lie. She needed to wait, but wait for what? The best idea was to try look for another way to find Helena's dad.

"But…" he said interrupting her thoughts. Barbara looked at him. "Maybe you have also noticed the glint on her eyes…"

Barbara kept her attention on him, his expression was serious.

"I have always had my suspicious but… I saw Miss Helena after her mother's death… she had an angry, haunted look in her eyes, a look I'd seen before in just one person."

"Bruce…" she mumbled.

He nodded, "I thought I was the only one with that idea, but now that I know you share my same thought… I will share my concern with you."

"What concern?"

"I'm concerned because her anger is too great, she doesn't understand why this has happened, she is very frustrated. This could mean that darkness will consume Miss Helena, because she doesn't know how to handle it."

Barbara blinked, she had noticed her anger, but had not considered the possibility…

"Just keep in mind that when it's family, it comes from their genes. And Helena has strong ones."

"On both sides…" the redhead added.

Alfred nodded.

* * *

The idea of handling the Wayne Foundation was nice. Business and crime fighting kept Bruce too busy to give his full attention on it. Barbara had enough sensibility to develop the Foundation and find help for needy children. Helena had been the trigger that had motivated her to accept, there were more children like Helena.

Barbara turned the page of the scientific magazine. An advertisement caught her attention. The computers were fascinating; she could do many things just by pressing a button. Obtain information.... She was sure she could do many more things with the new equipment she was installing at the ClockTower. Like, using the internet to trap thieves and murderers.

But, again, she found she couldn't concentrate on her task. She checked between the pages and took out a picture of Helena. She had kept that photo with her almost all day.

Alfred's words were twisting inside her mind. She wondered if Helena's current state might push her farther into the darkness. She used to be a sweet girl, always smiling.

Now her mood had changed so much, she always seemed to be sad and angry, lost in her inner world.

Her answers were rude and her moods were almost always bad. Her strange taste for dark clothes and for being awake until the latest of hours reminded her much of both Selina and Batman.

Was she really a child of the night?

Would the darkness charm and envelop her? Would that darkness take her to the wrong side of the law? She was very frustrated and she had spoken many times about taking revenge into her own hands.

She bit the nail on her finger.

Where was Helena now? Was she really walking toward that edge?

*******

Barbara began to work organizing a lab on the upper floor, where the clock was. It was an empty place, but very big. Helena was so closed in her own world and Alfred's comments continued to concern her.

She left some personnel working upstairs and went to Helena's room. She could hear the music from the living room. How could she like that noise?

She knocked on the door and of course Helena didn't hear her. She opened the door.

The girl was lying on the bed, reading a book. She was wearing jeans and a black shirt. She didn't realize Barbara was there.

The redhead walked toward the stereo and lowered the volume. The girl lifted her head immediately.

"Hey!" Helena protested.

"How can you study with that noise?" the redhead asked.

"It's music, turn it on."

Barbara stood in front of her, crossing her arms. "You spend all day locked up in your room."

The girl turned to her side, she was not in the mood to discuss this. "Close the door when you leave."

Barbara crossed her arms, "Why don't you go out? You can't stay here all day."

"Why not?" Helena glared at her.

"You need to go out, have fun."

The young girl frowned, "Are you sick? What's wrong with you?"

Barbara patted her leg. "Come on… stand up."

"Barbara, if you are bored, it is not my problem. Go back to your books and let me listen to my music."

"I'm worried about you, you spend all day in here."

"I'm a teenager, Barbara. It's what we do!"

"Of course not, teenagers go out too. You used to love to go out, I remember. Come on, Helena," the red head insisted, "get up."

"I'm fine, go away!" The brunette rolled her eyes.

"How about we go to a movie and then we can go out to dinner."

The girl turned over and rested her elbows on the mattress, "I don't want to go anywhere."

"You used to love going out."

"You already said it. I used to love going out. Not anymore. Now, go away."

Barbara looked at her, feeling frustrated. "Please?"

The girl remained motionless in her place.

"All right, but tomorrow you and I are getting out of here." Barbara said, "No excuses, no pretext.".

"Sure, whatever you say."

Barbara exited the room. She rested her back on the door.

Now, where were the instructions that would explain how to deal with a stubborn teenager? How would Selina handle this? A bit of fresh air might help her.

*****

She still couldn't figure out how Barbara had convinced her to come here. Maybe it was because she was still half sleep when the redhead had promised her a warm, full breakfast and, by the time she woke up, the car was moving toward the Park.

Damn. Her stomach had betrayed her once more. It was ridiculous, being in the middle of a park full of flowers, birds and those corny things. It was not as fun as being buried under covers. What was the point in be in the middle of nowhere doing nothing? Her room was better, at least there was music.

She couldn't find the amusement in this, things were not be as fun as they used to be. It was not that she wasn't trying, it was just that she couldn't enjoy it. She gazed toward the redhead, who was sitting next to her under a tree, reading a book.

Barbara loved books. It was much better to give her a book than a diamond. She hated that the woman pushed her to do things that she hated. Well, it wasn't that she hated it, she was just not in mood to do anything. It was not Barbara's fault. She had been nice, she had taken her in and, thanks to her, she was not in a Children's home, but her mother had been her deepest love. She missed cuddling with her, being with her. They used to talk for hours and exchange ideas; she was so funny and unexpected, always full of life.

It was hard to understand things like this. Her mom had always been nice and gentle with people. Always worried about others. It made her feel an incredible anger and frustration inside. If she just knew who that guy was, she would kill him.

Rip his head off.

Cut him in pieces.

Or maybe in slices.

Make him pay.

Either way, the important thing was to kill him.

"This is boring," the teenager grumbled, annoyed. Her arms were crossed over her chest.

"It's a nice morning, enjoy," Barbara said, writing a note on her magazine.

"Grass itches and there are a lot of bugs. Why are we here?" she asked, scratching her leg. Damn mosquito.

"You needed fresh air. Go walk around."

"Too healthy for me. Can we go now?"

"What's your hurry?" Barbara asked, "You keep yourself locked in your room all day. It's not like you have somewhere to be."

"I don't care. I have air conditioning and music."

"You need to burn some energy."

"My energy feels tired now. It's hot here."

The redhead lowered her magazine and looked at the brunette. "You really need to burn energy. It's not good for you to charge your batteries all day and never get any exercise."

"Why?" Helena slapped her arm. She had killed two mosquitoes in just one blow.

"Because you explode easily and I end up at your school every day promising your teacher you will be good."

"I am good. It's just that people have a hard time seeing it."

Barbara glared at the teen. "Can you tell me what you were thinking when you started that fight at your school two days ago?"

"Hey, it was that girl. She made me stumble with my tray of food."

"I have told you thousands of times not to use your meta powers on civilians."

"She was an asshole, not a civilian."

Barbara narrowed her eyes. "I'm serious, Helena. You know you can't do that."

"I didn't touch her."

"No, you didn't, but the bottle of water that you threw at her hit her straight in the nose. You can't do that."

"Why not?" The brunette stood up angrily.

"You know why! You have an advantage over normal people! You can hurt them!"

"Be certain, she will think twice before doing that again to anyone."

The redhead pinched the bridge of her nose. "It's not right."

"And who cares what is right or not?" The brunette waved her hands, annoyed "This is bullshit!"

"Watch your mouth."

"Being a decent person didn't save my mother's life. The killer is still free! Who has stopped him? Don't talk me about what's right or not." Helena turned her back on the redhead and walked across the grass. "I'm going home. I'm tired of this."

The redhead covered her eyes. This was going to be more difficult than she had thought. But Helena needed all her patience, she was very hurt. She thought this would help, but no. She needed to think of another way to try to get close to the girl and help her ease the pain.

She lifted her head and watched her go. Alfred was right, she would easily turn to the dark side.


	16. Under sight

**Thanks for your posrt!Enjoy!**

**Jag**

* * *

The new computer system was the epitome technology and communication. There were more than six big screens surrounding the main platform. There were ten terminals located over the semicircular desktop. Barbara also had a kitchen, a study, and a small living room built. The place was huge.

"What do you think?" she asked Alfred, crossing her arms and looking around.

"Amazing," he said, his eyes scanning the entire place "What are you planning to do here?"

"It's my mini Batcave," she said smiling.

"Looks more like an aviary."

"Good point…"

"Maybe a bird of prey. You can watch the entire city from the balcony."

"I can keep an eye on the city here." Barbara sat in front of one of the computers and pressed some keys. The monitors turned on and streets of New Gotham appeared, as well as some familiar places.

"Impressive."

"I have access to almost all the servers around the world, satellites, police data…"

"I assume they can't see you." He stood behind her.

"You assume well."

"You told me you weren't sure about continuing as Batgirl."

"Yes, I don't want keep collecting bruises and cuts on my body. Hard to wear cocktail dresses, you know?"

"I can imagine."

"Has Mrs. Helena seen this?"

"No, she is locked in her own world."

"How is your research about Helena's father progressing?"

"Well," she pointed at a screen, "I'm already I'm running her DNA, I took some hairs from her pillow. I will compare it with Bruce's. I got his DNA from his computer files."

"I assume you didn't ask permission to do that."

"Again," she smirked, "you assume pretty well."

The elevator door opened, surprising them both. The young brunette stepped outside and looked around, amazed. "Wow, what is this?"

Alfred looked at her and was surprised. With her short hair, the girl looked just like him. Now he understood Barbara's concern. "You don't need a DNA match."

"Indeed," Barbara said.

"What is this?" Helena asked again

"It's my hobby," the redhead said, resting her hip on the desk close to her.

"Is this the stuff you've been working on?"

"Yes, and the thing you said you didn't have any interest in knowing about."

"It would be cool to play Doom on that screen," she pointed one of the big monitors.

"Don't even think about it." Barbara raised her index finger, "This is where I work."

"Your office?" the girl put her hands inside her pockets. "I thought you told me you were going to have one at the Wayne building."

"Yes, but sometimes I must work at home." "

"I see… a laptop is not enough for you." She grinned. "Hey Alfred, glad to see you here. It's great."

"Thank you, Miss Helena."

"Are you going to cook?" she whispered to him. "She may good with techie things, but she sucks in the kitchen."

"Hey, I heard that." The redhead glared at them.

"Maybe we can celebrate the grand opening of this place with a meal in the new kitchen upstairs," Alfred suggested.

"Sounds good to me." Helena smiled, looking at the redhead.

"All right, all right." Barbara waved her hands.

* * *

Leslie signed some papers in her office. She hated paper work, but it was important. The day was just starting and she needed to finish before starting her first round of checking patients.

The door suddenly opened and Barbara Gordon walked inside. Leslie was startled and, before she could utter a word, the redhead put a piece of paper on the desk.

"Tell me now that Helena is not Bruce daughter," Barbara said angrily.

"What is this?" The old woman looked at the paper on the desk.

"Helena and Bruce's DNA. It's the same."

"Oh.." Leslie adjusted her lenses, reading the paper.

"You lied to me."

Leslie continued checking the paper. After a few seconds, she turned her attention to the redhead.

"Excellent job." Leslie removed her glasses. "Now, what?"

"What?" Barbara asked, surprised. "You said you didn't know who Helena's father is."

"Well, now you know who he is," the old woman said calmly, leaning back in her chair and crossing her hands. "Now, what?"

"Why did you lie to me?"

"Are you going to blame Selina? Will you tell Helena? Tell him? What do you expect? What changes, now that you know who he is?"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You are not answering my question."

Green eyes blinked in surprised.

"Have you stopped to think why Selina kept that secret?" Leslie said, standing up and walking toward the redhead. "Why didn't she want him to know? Or you to know?" She lifted the paper "You know who Selina was, you know who Bruce is. Do you think Helena would be safe, able to live a normal childhood if people knew this? If someone discovered Bruce's secret, do you think that it would be safe for Helena? Selina was protecting her and she did a great job. Now, my question is,what are you going to do? Are you going to tell this to everyone?"

"Bruce deserved to know this," Barbara mumbled uncertainly.

"Why?" Leslie glared at her, removing her glasses "He was-- he is -- a playboy, pretending to be a hero at night, fighting for his revenge that doesn't let his soul rest in peace. For him, being a crime fighter is first, then the people that he loves. You know that. That's why he and Selina never could be a couple. Selina wanted a safe, peaceful life for her child. She quit everything for her! Do you think Bruce would do it? Do you think Bruce could give Helena a normal family? Do you think that Selina could sleep knowing that her husband was risking his life every night and that maybe, someday, he wouldn't come home? Do you know what it means live with anguish like that?" Leslie threw the paper to the floor. "I don't think you do, because you are playing his same game. So don't make these scenes in my office, if you haven't stopped to think beforehand."

Angry, the doctor returned to her chair.

"You knew," Barbara said to her.

"Yes, I knew it and…? Is there a problem?" Leslie said, putting her glasses on.

"Why did you deny it when I asked?"

"Because it was not my right to tell you a secret that had been entrusted to me."

"But it's important."

"Why?" Leslie looked at her. "Because of Bruce's money? She doesn't need it. For the father figure? I don't think it's an issue, Helena grew up healthy and happy. She didn't need him."

"She has a right to know." Barbara rested her hands on the desk.

"Why?"

"Why?"

"Yes, why? Do you think it would change anything that has happened?"

"No, but..."

"So, let the things be as Selina wanted. Who do you think you are to change it?" She pointed at the younger woman with her pen and almost shouted. "You have no right, do you hear me, no right, to try to change Selina's decisions that gave Helena a normal and happy childhood. Bruce is still Bruce, regardless of the fact that Selina is dead."

Barbara remained silent, staring at her.

"Is that all? If you don't have anything else, I'll get back to my work." Leslie took the papers she had on her desk and began to sign them. "Otherwise, I'm glad to see you walking normally again."

Barbara stormed out of the office, slamming the door. The old doctor lifted her head and shook it returning to her job.

"Hard headed as Bruce," she mumbled to herself. "Why are all super-heroes so complicated?"

* * *

Barbara began to work at Wayne industries, she was surprised at the amount of work to do. At night, she spent time working at the Delphi. First, some friends had been asking her for information that had been helpful in trapping some criminals. She began discovering all the marvelous things the computer could do. Both jobs began to absorb her time. She was excited about developing all her skills to fulfill her passions: computers and helping people.

She checked her lastest reports. There was a new burglar in town. She had been following the robberies since the first one. At the beginning, she thought it was a common burglar, but… whoever it was had hit the fifth jewelry store in three weeks and left no clues. She just had the image from a camera inside a store, it was blurry, but she could recognize easily. It was a woman dressed in black.

She crossed her legs over the desk and checked the recent print out with the list of stolen jewelry. It was not a large amount, just a few select pieces -- some with great value, some with not so much value. It was intriguing. Why hadn't the burglar stolen everything and why had she chosen some less expensive items over the pricier ones?

She had given the information to Nightwing, but the thief was very slippery.

She checked her watch, almost eight. She had promised to have dinner with Helena. She still had work to do, but it was the only time they could share in relative peace. Helena had been so lost in her own thoughts lately, she almost never talked and spent long hours shut in her room or sitting on the balcony looking at the horizon. She was still grieving for her mother and it was easy to understand. It had been only seven months ago. She put a hand on her leg and rubbed it slowly. She had been really lucky, she had checked all the documents and images of her back before the operation. The bullet had been an inch away from leaving her paralyzed.

She felt a shiver down her back. It really would have screwed up her life, and what about Helena? Hard to know. It had taken her almost three months to completely heal, with much therapy and exercise. She shook her head and walked to the elevator.

When she stepped inside her penthouse, she heard the familiar rock music coming from Helena's room. She checked what Alfred had prepared and put it in the microwave. The dining table was ready. Alfred was marvelous.

She checked all the items and went to look for Helena. She had her door open and was sprawled on the bed reading a magazine.

She rested her shoulder on the doorframe and crossed her arms. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"I found this old magazine." Helena lifted it. "Mom is on the cover."

"Really?" Barbara walked inside the room. "Where did you find it?"

"I was checking some boxes she had at home that I brought here. She had some magazines in it and clips from magazines. She was pretty well-known."

"She always was," Barbara said, sitting on the edge of the bed and taking the magazine. She began to turn the pages. "I think you need to get out more often, you spend too many hours in here."

"I don't want to go out."

"But you must. You have been very distracted lately. Sometimes I call you and you don't hear me because you are so lost in your own world."

"I'm thinking of her. I always think of her." Helena sighed.

The redhead looked at her. "She wouldn't like to see you like this. She loved life, and going out, she had tons of friends and was very popular with men, as you are. I remember she told me that her daughter was one of the most popular students in high school."

The brunette stared at the ceiling. "It's stupid stuff."

"Of course not. It's interesting to meet knew people, she had a lot of friends. And she loved that you had friends."

The teenager looked at the redhead "She dated a lot of men?"

"She was charming and had a great sex appeal."

"It didn't seem like it." The brunette turned on her side and put her hand under her head. "She always was with me, she went out to parties or dinners sometimes, but most of time she was with me."

"After you were born, she loved to be with you all the time," Barbara smiled at the girl, "and she enjoyed it."

"I enjoyed it too. She played with me and showed me a lot of things. She liked to take me to museums and galleries. She knew a lot about art."

"It was her passion, jewelry and art."

"Yes, jewelry more than art. She told me incredible stories about it, like the Fabergé eggs."

"The Fabergé eggs?" The redhead lifted her brow curiously. "What did she tell you?"

Helena stared at the ceiling a few seconds before answering. "That there are seven Fabergé jeweled eggs were made by Peter Carl Fabergé and his assistants to Russia Czars. The eggs are made of precious metals and gem stones."

"That is nice…" The redhead patted her thigh. "Maybe you will be interested to know that an exposition with the "Resurrection Egg" will be in two weeks at the New Gotham Museum. It was part of the Forbes Collection that was bought by Viktor Vekselberg. He was kind to lend the egg to the city. It will be there just a month."

Helena sat up on the bed. "The resurrection egg in New Gotham? Wow… I saw pictures about the eggs but I have never seen one."

It was nice to see that something had finally got her attention. Barbara grinned."Well, I promise to take you to the museum to see it. What do you think?"

"It would be cool."

"Excellent." She patted her leg. "It's a deal then, now let's go eat. Alfred prepared a good salad and some pasta for us."

"Okay."

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	17. Problems

***Maybe you need read a bit of Little Helena series to understand this chapter...**

* * *

Monday.

Barbara arrived at her office at the Wayne Foundation. The employees greeted her as soon as she walked by the offices. The people were very nice and almost all of them were young people, except her secretary, Carol, and she had worked for Bruce for many years. Barbara had called her, knowing she was a very efficient person.

Carol stood up and followed her with a cup of coffee.

"Mr. Jonas from The University of Texas called," she said, reading her notebook. "Also, Ms. Coomaraswamy called, she wants to invite you to the UN. There will be a conference about "Children and Armed Conflict." She wants to know if you are interested in being involved in their mission."

"Sounds very interesting." Barbara took the notes from Carol.

"She left her phone number." The old woman read her notebook.

"Call her in fifteen minutes, just let me get organized." Barbara sat on her chair and picked up the newspaper.

"Sure. Your meeting with The Children's Foundation is at four."

"All right. I'll be there." She sipped a bit of coffee. "This is great."

"Thanks." The woman smiled and left the office.

Barbara opened the newspaper, she checked crime section.

Damn.

The jewelry thief again had returned. The thief was having a fun time breaking inside elegant stores. Then… she blinked. She couldn't believe what she was reading. That crazy jewelry thief had gone back to the first store and returned the jewels.

What was going on?

All the works was clean. It didn't make sense. She had never seen anything like this. She dropped the newspaper on the desk and leaned back in her chair. It seemed she needed to go out and find her. The police and Nightwing had not been able to find the thief. She had an idea about the thief would strike next.

And she would be there.

She had been avoiding wearing her old costume, but it seemed she would need to resurrect Batgirl temporarily. She preferred the action behind the Delphi. She had control of everything just using her keyboard. She checked the newspaper once more. So… the thief had robbed six stores so far and returned items to two of them. If she was right, the theif would go back to one of the other stores sooner or later.

"Miss Gordon?" a voice said from the door.

The young woman turned to face her secretary. "Yes, Carol?"

"I was calling you, but you didn't respond." She pointed at the phone.

"Oh… sorry. I didn't hear you." She was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't heard the phone buzzing.

"It's a phone call from Helena's school," the secretary said.

"Helena's school?" The redhead had just left her there two hours ago.

"They say it's urgent. Line two."

"All right. I'll take it." Barbara extended her hand and picked up the phone. "Barbara Gordon."

*****************

Barbara exited the principal's office with Helena. There was a deep, tense silence while they walked to Barbara's van.

Helena climbed inside the car.

As soon as Barbara was in, she put her seatbelt on and stared at the girl. She didn't want to be angry with her, but it was so hard. They had talked about this many times, when she was a child, and twice in the last month. This was the third time she'd been in trouble this month. She was becoming pretty violent and wasn't controlling herself.

She had been involved in a discussion where she had called one of her professor's an "asshole". The second incident had involved her throwing a glass of water on a girl and pushing another one into a trash can.

Now, she had broken a boy's nose during a short fight, where she easily had defeated the guy that was at least four inches taller than her.

"Well…" the redhead said.

"I told you, he started it, he insulted me."

"You didn't say why. The principal was angry and, Helena…." She pinched the bridge of her nose, "You are a lady."

"I'm a girl." The teenager rolled her eyes.

"With special abilities." Barbara looked at her. "You know you can't use them on civilians."

"He's not a civilian, he is an asshole."

"You always say that."

"Well, he is always an asshole. That's not my fault."

"We have talked about this so many times." Barbara shook her head. "Helena, this is the third time in a month that you've been in trouble."

"It's not my fault. I have told you that many times." Helena rested her head on the seat of the car.

"So what is it?"

"He loves to bother me, he is always taunting me. Why I can't defend myself?"

"You can, but do not use your meta skills."

"He loves to bother girls that he knows can't do anything against him." Helena crossed her arms and slumped down in the seat. "I taught him a lesson. I assure you he will never try to make fun of me again."

"Are you going to fix all your problems with your fists?" Barbara waved her hand. "Is that what your mom taught you?"

"You don't understand."

Barbara kept her gaze fixed on her, "What did he say?"

Helena shook her head and closed her eyes.

Barbara softened the tone of her voice. "I want to understand. It would be much easier if you would talk to me."

"Look…" Helena whispered, staring at the window "I didn't want to cause you trouble… I promise this won't happen again."

"I really would love that, but… tell me, what did he say to you?"

The brunette sighed and lowered her head. She bit her lips. "Can we go now?"

"You don't want to talk."

Helena shook her head.

Barbara sighed and turned the key to start the van. "We must talk, Helena. Maybe not now, but we must do it soon."

********************************

She opened the box an observed the fine piece of jewelry. It was a fantastic collection piece. She never had seen anything like this before, it was delicate, brilliant… Many women would go crazy to war it on their necks. Whoever had made the piece was a great designer.

Designer of jewels… Yeah, that was a great job. She'd never met one. It would be interesting to meet one and hear about his or her experiences designing diamonds.

She heard a noise behind her. She had been so distracted looking at the jewel, that she had forgotten her own safety.

Crap. The police.

She ran toward the air conditioner duct she had just opened.

"Freeze!" a voice behind her said.

She didn't turn. She tried to jump in the duct at the time the young policeman shot. The bullet hit the wall close to her and she ducked. It would probably be best to forget the air conditioner duct, she needed to find another exit.

"Hands up!" the policeman shouted.

Her eyes looked for an exit. Maybe she needed a door. She pushed the crystal display case in front of her and then ran, jumping at a closed door. The impact broke it and the policeman shot at her twice.

She rolled over the floor, it was the emergency exit. Surely, there were more police downstairs, so she chose to run upstairs. In a few seconds, she was on the rooftop. Well, now it was a piece of cake, she just could jump to the next building and be done with it.

A bullet slammed into the wall next to her leg. That had been so close.

"I said don't move," the young policeman shouted again.

Damn. He was fast. He was just a floor below. She quickly moved to hide next to the door. When he came out, she hit him and his gun fell to the ground. She kicked the gun far and hit him hard in his face.

She ran toward the edge of the building and jumped between the buildings.

Oh shit.

She had miscalculated the distance.

She stretched her hand, trying to reach the next building. She barely managed it, but her side hit roughly against the wall. The impact made her fingers slip from the cornice and she fell down.

She tried to catch herself on something, but was unsuccessful. She hit the dumpster hard. Luckily, it was full of trash and it helped to soften the impact. It was bad because the place smelled awful.

As soon as she tried to stand up, she winced. Dammit, she had hurt her shoulder. All her weight had fallen on it. She slowly stood up.

"Don't move!" a voice shouted five floors above her. She lifted her head. Crap. That damn policeman. Wouldn't he ever give up? Luckily, she had kicked the gun very far and it seemed he hadn't found it yet.

"Oh shut up," she growled, standing up. She knew he would call his partners. She jumped outside and ran down a dark alley.

The policeman took his radio. "The thief is running to Crawford alley," he shouted.

What? a voice said over the radio. "Reese? She was with you on the rooftop just one minute ago.

"You would never believe what I just saw." The black policeman said, "You would never believe it."

***************

"Helena, it's late!" Barbara shouted down the hallway. She picked up the car keys that were on the table.

"I'm coming!" the brunette said as she appeared. "Where is my backpack?"

"On the couch." Barbara stared at her. Her hair was wet. "Did you shower again? I heard you showering late last night."

"I like showering in the morning and last night I was hot," the brunette said, picking up her schoolbag.

"All right." Barbara patted her shoulder. "Let's go."

The brunette winced and moved back.

"What's wrong?" the redhead asked.

"Nothing…" Helena realized her mistake. Damn dumpster.

"Nothing?"

"I slept on my shoulder and hurts a bit," Helena explained.

Barbara lifted her eyebrow, she was a really bad liar. "Okay, now the truth."

"Hey, I just slept bad. That's all, okay?" the young woman grumbled, moving toward the door.

"All right, but you aren't convincing me," Barbara stated. She was afraid Helena had been involved in another school fight and was hurt. Besides she was wearing and sweater that was much too big, she didn't usually wear unfashionable clothes.

"Barbara," Helena said, exasperated, "I just slept in a bad position!"

"May I see your shoulder?"

The brunette glared at her. Why she couldn't let it go. "No."

"Why not?" Barbara walked toward her.

Crap. She was fucked.

Barbara stood up behind her and the neck of the sweater to the side. The brunette had a purple bruise on her back. That surely had been black the night before, but thanks to her healing powers it would fade in a few days.

"Slept in a bad position, eh?" the crime fighter said angrily. She turned toward the living room. "Let me check you."

"Bar…"

"Let me check you." Barbara's voice was hard and cold.

Helena knew it was best to shut up and do what she said. She dropped her backpack to the floor and sat on the couch.

"Take it off, please," the redhead ordered, crossing her arms.

The young girl obeyed and slowly removed her sweater, she couldn't avoid wincing. Barbara sat next to her and checked her back. The bruise was enormous. It ran from her shoulder, down her side, past her ribs, and ended at her waist.

"What the hell happened to you?" the older woman said, standing up.

"Nothing."

"So?" She went to a drawer to look for a salve, Helena's meta-skills were amazing, but it was good to help her a bit. "Were you fighting again?"

"I was practicing jumps."

"Jumps?" Barbara found the unguent and closed the drawer.

"I miscalculated a jump…" Helena mumbled, avoiding the woman's eyes.

"What were you jumping?" The redhead walked toward her, opening the small box between in hands.

The young girl sighed. She jumped lightly when she felt Barbara's fingers rubbing her back.

"Hel?" Barbara insisted. "This is not the bruise of a simple fall."

"…dings." Helena mumbled.

"Excuse me?"

The brunette took a deep breath. "Buildings."

"Buildings?" Barbara exclaimed, surprised.

"Easy…" Helena winced when Barbara applied more pressure to her back.

"Sorry… What were you doing jumping buildings?"

"It's just fun..."

"Fun? You almost broke your back… You said you miscalculated. What did you miscalculate?"

"I jumped between two buildings and I miscalculated it… I fell…" Whatever, she was screwed anyway.

"How high?" Barbara shook her head, rubbing the girl's back slowly as she applied the salve.

"Three floors…"

Barbara stopped her movements. "What?"

"I fell in a dumpster… "

"When it happened?"

"Last night…"

"Did you went out and didn't tell me?"

"You were busy."

"You could have told me."

Helena put her sweater back on and stood up. "How? You are never here!" She faced her guardian. "You are always are busy with the foundation or your new toy!"

"Helena, I try to be with you, but I have work to do, you know."

"Yes, I know." Helena shook her head. She didn't understand. Her mother…

"I don't want you to go out without asking me," Barbara scolded, "and I don't want you go out alone at night."

"I can take care of myself." Helena gazed at the redhead.

"Yes." Barbara crossed her arms "I see that…"

"Can we go now? I'm late," the brunette mumbled, picking up her schoolbag.

"Okay, but you are grounded." Barbara picked up her bag and walked toward the door. Why was Helena so closed off?

***********

Helena took the valuable jewelry in her hands, it was beautiful. The shine of the fine chain was incredible. She put it inside the box and closed it.

"Well, I finally found you," a voice behind her said.

The dark figure turned and faced the tall figure of the woman.

Barbara never thought she would wear the costume again, but this criminal was being a pain in the ass and she needed to stop her.

Helena blinked rapidly as her jaw dropped. In front of her stood her "guardian angel." She had tried to convince herself for years that the angel had just been a dream, but now there she was. Standing in front of her.

*******


	18. The fight

**Looking her Guardian angel in front of her, Helena's mind traveled to the past....**

_S__he had been under the care of Barbara when she was a child, her mom had gone on a long trip. It was the first time she had been away from her mother's house. Barbara was a busy woman and a night that she felt very alone, Barbara had left again, in a hurry. Helena had decided to go back to her home._

_She had picked up a few things and left Barbara's apartment that night, carrying a backpack, her baseball cap and Jaçques, her lovely stuffed cat. _

_Suddenly, someone had grabbed her hand and stopped her._

"_Hey! Where are you going?" _

_Helena opened her mouth without knowing what to say; she hugged Jaçques and stepped back._

_"You should be at home," a woman dressed in black said, pissed. "Are you crazy? You should be in bed! What are you doing in the street?"_

_She had tried to run, but the woman had stopped her by grabbing her arm. "Wait, where are you going now?" _

"_Let me go!" Helena said, frightened and pulling her arm._

_"Wait, I don't want to hurt you... sorry, I was rude... I'm a friend."_

_Helena stepped back. "I've never seen you before..."_

_"Don't go, please." The woman kneeled in front of her._

_Helena observed her, her senses told her in some way that the strange woman would not hurt her. She was wearing a strange costume with a cowl and a cape; all in black and yellow._

_"I don't want to hurt you, it's just that it's not good that children walk alone at night," she said with soft voice._

_"Is... that a bat?" Helena asked shyly, pointing at the image at the woman's chest._

_"Yes... I'm, I'm Batgirl... I help people."_

_"Why are you dressed like that?"_

_"I'm a crime fighter, I fight against bad guys."_

_"Are you good?"_

_"Yes... I'm good. I'm sorry if I scared you, but I saw you walking alone. It's dangerous for you to walk alone so late. You need to go back to your home."_

_"I'm going home..." the kid whispered._

_"That's not true." The redhead took her hands._

_"Yes, I live at Jefferson Street, 233 Jefferson Street." It was her home address._

_"Why are you so far from it? Is your mother there?"_

_Helena lowered her head and shook it._

_"So...?" The red head looked at her._

_Helena looked in her eyes; she felt she was a nice person "I'm staying here." She pointed to the apartment building. "With Barbara, a friend of my mom. She works at the library, but she is always busy, she doesn't talk much with me; she never has time... She doesn't like me..."_

_"That's not true." _

"_Yes it is, you don't know her; she is nice, but she's never home, and when she is, she is busy. I'm a nuisance for her, she has many things to do and I'm in her way... I want to go home."_

_"I'm sure she didn't mean to hurt you. Do you feel all right?"_

_"Yes."_

_The woman took off one of her gloves and touched her cheek. "You have a fever."_

_"I'm going home." Helena pushed her hand back and walked._

_"No, you need to come back." Batgirl stood up, putting on her glove._

_"I'm going home."_

_"Hey, wait." Batgirl took her arm._

_"Let me go! I want to go home!"_

_"It's dangerous, you home is here, for now."_

_"No! I want to go to my home!" The brunette pulled her arm. She pushed her and made her step back. She kept walking._

_"Damn, you have a fever." The woman wrapped her arms around the child's waist feeling even more guilty now. "Please, You are sick! You need to go back."_

_"You don't understand... I'm just in her way..." the kid sobbed and struggled._

_The woman had a hard time keeping her still, the kid kicked in the air. She held her legs and began to walk toward the building._

_"Jaçques!" she shouted, trying to reach her stuffed cat that had fallen on the ground. "I want Jaçques!"_

_"I need to take you inside."_

_"Jaçques! Please don't leave him there!" she cried, "Jaçques! Please!"_

_The young woman turned and saw the cat on the floor. She put her down and she ran to pick up her little cat, crying._

_Batgirl kneeled next to her; she was touched and caressed her hair. "Let me take you inside." She asked her softly "You have fever."_

_She didn't answer, she kept crying and holding her cat tightly. Batgirl hugged her, she buried her face in her neck. The woman wrapped her arms protectively around her, like a mother would her daughter. The two shared a moment. Batgirl kissed her forehead. She gently picked her up and took her inside the building._

**Helena blinked coming back to the present...**

She had called her, then, her "guardian angel" and she had seen her a few times more, but when she grew up she had always thought it had been a dream or her imagination.

And now, the same woman was in front of her. She was scared out of her wits. Was she really there and now angry because she was doing something wrong? She might consider not stealing again and put her black ski mask away…

Suddenly, the woman was over her and hit her hard on her face. The second punch to her gut took the air from of her lungs.

"What?" Batgirl asked. "Oh… Oh, I see. You are not as good at fighting as you are at stealing?"

The brunette glared at her.

Batgirl jumped at her again. The young woman barely had time to stand up and block the punch. She was able to avoid the next blow, but not a kick that sent her flying backwards against a wall.

Crap. That had hurt. A lot.

"Let me guess, you didn't eat well today." Batgirl said, smirking "Maybe mommy didn't feed you?"

Angel or not, Helena didn't like her tone. She stood up and charged at her. The caped woman easily ducked and Helena flew past her.

"Oh… I think you are a bit slow. Do you want me to help you? Maybe you need a cane?"

Growling, Helena kicked the caped woman hard in her face, surprising her. Batgirl crashed against some glass furniture.

She sat on the floor, wiping a thread of blood on her mouth with her hand.

Well, Helena stood close to her and realized that her "guardian angel" was not an angel, but flesh and blood.

"Lucky shot." The caped woman grinned as she swept her feet, making the brunette fell backwards. "But I don't think a beginner like you will be lucky twice."

Helena threw a kick, but Batgirl rolled. This time the teenager didn't stop and threw her another blow that the redhead stopped.

Both began exchanging blows, one of Helena's fists was suddenly grabbed by the redhead's hand.

"Wanna lift?" she asked, flipping the teen and sending her flying over her shoulder.

A wooden cabinet broke under Helena's weight when she impacted it.

"And I think someone needs to teach you how to fall, you are pretty bad at it. Look, you are breaking everything."

The brunette was really angry. She couldn't see a thing, the damn mask had moved and blinded her. She hated masks anyway and she sweated a lot. What kind of meta-human was she? No one would make fun of her. Really angry, Helena stood up and punched at the dark figure, but the other woman stopped her fist and punched her straight in her face. She was suddenly overwhelmed by the attack. She was sure that she was stronger than the other woman, but the caped woman was skillful and had a great ability fighting.

A blow in the middle of her nose almost knocked her out. She stepped back, seeing stars around her. Knowing the next punch would probably land her unconscious, she grabbed the caped woman and pushed. She heard glass breaking.

Luckily, they just fell one floor down and a car roof helped to make the blow less damaging. She rolled to her side and kneeled a few meters from the redhead.

Helena turned and ran toward the corner. She had the perfect opportunity to escape. She didn't want to be trapped by that lunatic. Barbara would be really angry if she found about about this.

"Dammit." Barbara growled, grabbing her knee, she watched the dark figure run. She tried to stand, but her knee gave out. She winced, grabbing it. It hurt like hell. After a few minutes she could stand up, slowly. The thief was gone.

The next time she wouldn't be so lucky.

************

The dark haired woman checked her cheek. She loved her meta powers, the purple bruise on her jaw was gone. Damn. Her "guardian angel" hit like a mule and fought like a tiger. She would love to be able to fight like her. She wondered who that woman was, if not a ghost created by her imagination.

How was it possible? What was she, then?

Some memories came back to her mind.

It was the same night that Batgirl had found her running away from her home. She had put her to bed and went to Barbara's bedroom to look for some pills because she had a fever. It had been weird.

"_How did you know where Barbara had the pills? Do you know her?" Helena had asked._

_"I know many things, for that reason, I'm a crime fighter." The masked woman winked at her. "People always keep medicine in the bathroom."_

_"True, Mom does the same... Why do you wear a mask?"_

_"Well... It's something about a secret identity. People like m, can't let other "people" know who I am; look, I'll be outside; I'll be there until I see Barbara come back, all right?"_

_"You can't wait until she comes back?" she asked with a sweet voice._

_"No, people can't see me," Batgirl answered touching her cheek._

_"Why not? Are you meta?" she child rested her head on her pillow._

_"Of course not..."_

_"So why can't people see you? You wear a mask."_

_"Well... I fight against many criminals, if they know who I am, they would try to hurt my family or my friends. I wear it because I'm protecting them."_

_"And why can't Barbara see you if you are a good girl?" _

_  
"Because we don't want people to know that we exist."_

_"We?"_

_"Some day you will understand, it's too complicated," she finally said._

_"Barbara says that every time I ask her to explain something to me."_

_"Okay," Batgirl knew she was cornered, "there are people like me, that like to help other people, like you. But we don't want them to know who we are. They would try to attack or hurt our family or us. And we don't want normal or good people to know that we exist; it's better. It's like being their guardian angels."_

_"Guardian angels?" she cocked her head._

_"Yes."_

_"They help you but you can't see them."_

_"Yes, exactly." Batgirl covered her with the blankets. "Now I need to go. Please, wait for Barbara."_

_"Okay.."_

_"And remember that I'll be outside keeping an eye on you, right?"_

_"Right."_

Helena sighed. That woman had kept her promise, she had kept an eye on her and she had caught her yesterday. How? How she had known where to find her? Was she real? Helena checked her cheek again.

Definitely, she was. Her body hurt everywhere. She put a shirt on and walked outside her room. Luckily, it was Saturday.

Barbara was preparing a sandwich in the kitchen.

"Hi Barbara…" she greeted, opening the fridge to take a bottle of milk.

"Hi, how did you sleep?" the redhead asked. "Want a sandwich?"

"If you made it, no thanks…" Helena sat on the table. She sat carefully, feeling vey sore.

"Ha, ha… very funny," Barbara said, turning with two sandwiches and noticing the girl's movements. "Is that a joke?"

Helena eyed her mentor, she was limping. "What happened to you?" she asked.

"I fell down the stairs yesterday. I will never run up them again with high heels." The redhead gave her a plate with a sandwich."What hurts you now? Another missed building?"

"No, gym class… I suck at it," the brunette lied.

"How do you expect to jump between high buildings if you don't learn the elementary things?" Barbara asked, sitting in the chair in front of her.

"It's not that gym is hard, but the routine is boring and I get distracted easily." The brunette used a knife to put mayonnaise on her bread.

"Gym is not boring, it's great. Well, if you want, I can show you."

"You?" Helena smirked, biting her sandwich."You fell down the stairs, how could you show me gymnastics?"

"Well," Barbara smiled, "I don't miscalculate a three floor building. I know about gymnastics and resistance."

"What do you know about gymnastics?" the brunette drank a sip of milk.

"When I was young I won a championship in gymnastics."

The teenager chuckled. "Come on… Barbara, I'm meta, you know I'm more agile than you and resistant."

"Wanna bet?"

Helena lowered her sandwich and looked at her. "Are you kidding me?"

"No," Barbara licked her lips, removing a bit of mustard. "I'm challenging you."

"Okay." Helena moved back in her chair "What If I win?"

"Well, if you win, I'll clean the whole house including your room, for a whole week."

"That sounds good…"

"But… if you lose, you must do it, and it includes the bathrooms."

Helena looked at her narrowing her eyes. "What?"

"A competition, in the gym. I can defeat you easily."

Helena felt something was wrong. Was she joking? She was much faster and more agile than her guardian.

"Unless you are afraid to lose," Barbara said.

"Of course not!"

"Well, so, it's a deal." Barbara smiled, it was time to give the rebellious teenager a lesson.

*********

Barbara gave Helena some leather gloves.

"What is this?" the teenager asked.

"They'll prevent your hands from slipping when you sweat."

"Hey, Barbara, may I ask you something?" The teen sat on the bench and put on the gloves.

"Sure."

"Do you think Mom was a bad person?"

The question surprised the redhead and she looked down at the girl. "Of course not, why?"

"Well…" the brunette adjusted the gloves on her hands. "I was just thinking… Mom was a business woman, cold…. She liked good things--- art, jewelry, paintings, clothes."

"Do you think she was cold?" Barbara stared at her.

"No…" Helena said, lowering her head. "I miss her, she was always fun, warm, she always hugged or kissed me."

"So, where did that idea came from?" Barbara sat next to her on the bench.

"I dunno, I was just thinking… I read that… that people used to say she was Catwoman. Catwoman was a burglar, why people would say that? Catwoman was bad, no? She was a villain."

The redhead took a deep breath. "Your mom was an amazing woman, she loved life and respected it, she helped people, you know that. She participated in benefit events to support people. Catwoman was a thief, who liked to collect jewelry and art, but always respected human life. Maybe people said that because they were physically similar – same age, tall, thin, and both had the same taste in jewels."

"What if she was Catwoman?" Helena asked in a low voice "Would that make her a bad person?"

Barbara was confused by the question.

"I have heard a lot of those rumors about my mom being her," the girl added, "that I have thought about it."

"Helena," Barbara touched her back, "your mom was the woman you knew, she was the incredible human being that loved you everyday."

The brunette nodded. "Well… and what are we going to do?"

"Bars," Barbara smiled at her. "We can do some easy jumps between bars with combinations of hand movements. The name of the game is resistance."

"Your knee is hurt, it's not a fair competition."

"I'm giving you an advantage."

Helena lifted her eyebrow. "You are pretty presumptuous."

"Don't think so… okay," Barbara straightened, "Let's start."

"What's the key?" Helena followed her.

Barbara smirked, "Well, you will see." She jumped smoothly toward the bars in the middle of the gym.

*****************

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	19. Barbara?

**Thanksfor all your nice posts and comments. Merry Christmas to all!**

**JAG**

* * *

An hour later, Helena panted on the floor while Barbara sat on the bench removing her gloves calmly. How could Barbara do all that exercise and not be winded? She could turn and move as fast as her.

"You are meta," the young girl gasped.

"Don't be silly." The redhead laughed.

"What was that? How could you be… and I?"

"Well," the redhead explained, "with experience and creativity it is possible to learn or design exercises that, done correctly and with the proper progressions, are so lacking in leverage that even at bodyweight levels of resistance, it is possible to build staggering amounts of strength."

"What?"

"When I practice bodyweight exercises, in addition to strength, I also develop excellent balance, coordination, agility. Have you considered that is the reason why spectacular film athletes like Jackie Chan always include gymnastics training in their physical preparation?"

"You are making fun of me."

"Of course not," the redhead laughed "I practice bodyweight exercises. With bodyweight exercises you become amazingly strong. In fact, I would go so far as to say that, done correctly, far stronger is someone who has trained with bodyweight for the same amount of time as someone with free weights."

"Bodyweight? What is that? It's not the same as lifting weight?"

"No, bodyweight conditioning works so well because you have a lot of contraction," Barbara said, standing up. "Basically, the harder the contraction over a greater part of the body during an exercise, the more effective the exercise." The redhead walked toward the door "Now, you must clean the house for a whole week."

"Teach me." The teenager's voice stopped her.

"What?"

"Teach me to do that."

Barbara turned her head and looked at her. Was she talking serious?

Helena stood up. "You did amazing turns in the air using just one hand and you could push your body with no effort… I want to do that."

The redhead kept silent. Maybe it was not such a bad idea. Helena would have a way to expend all her energy.

"Come on," Helena insisted.

"All right, but with one condition."

"Barbara!"

"No more school fights or trouble." She pointed at the teen.

"Is that it?"

"Yes." The redhead crossed her arms.

"Deal.." Helena said.

******

She had checked all around before walking into the jewelry store. This time the bat-whatever thing was not going to surprise her. It had been almost a week since that encounter with her. The girl walked inside the store and went toward one of the main crystal cases in the gallery. She opened it and took out of her pocket the small pendant inside a crystal box. She scratched her cheek, she hated masks. This would be the last time she wore one.

"I was starting to think you'd never come back."

The brunette turned. Dammit. Batgirl was standing there… Oh damn, she didn't want to fight, she just wanted to put the damn jewel back in its place and go home. Her eyes looked for the closest exit.

"Don't even think about it," Batgirl said "I suggest surrendering and everything will be over. Remove your mask."

Helena moved slowly to her left.

"Come on… I don't understand why you are doing this, but I can see this is just a game for you. You steal and then return the things you have already stolen. The charges against you won't bee too bad."

"Well, well, it seems I found two little bats here," a man's voice said from behind them.

Batgirl frowned. Oh shit.

Ogre and Ape.

Helena opened her eyes in surprise. She never had seen freak things like those men.

"You will help us to find the batman, honey," Ape said. "We saw you and we followed you."

"Now you need to catch me," Batgirl replied.

Michael Adams was a genetically altered man, whose brother was a genetically experimented upon ape. The Ogre increased in strength and the Ape in intelligence.

This didn't look good.

"Your friend is welcome too." Ape smirked.

"She is not my friend." Helena growled.

"Hey, be nice," Batgirl said. "What's wrong with me?"

"Whatever, get them, Ogre," Ape shouted.

The incredibly tall man charged towards them. Batgirl jumped over one of the display cases and used it to push herself up, leaping and hitting the big man in his chest. The Ogre fell backwards.

Annoyed, he lifted a piece of heavy, wooden furniture and threw it at the redhead.

Helena watched, stunned. That man was not a man. This was definitely not her fight. Helena took the opportunity to run and jump through a glass window.

Batgirl found herself alone between the two criminals. Well, it seemed she had some hard work to do now.

Helena, frightened, jumped to the rooftop with an easy jump. She landed smoothly on the ground and prepared to run, but something stopped her. It was nice that Batgirl would have a good lesson, but on the other hand…

She moved closer to the edge of the building. She saw Batgirl hit the ground hard in the street. In a second, the Ogre was over her. The bat who ever didn't seem to care about the size of that gorilla and made him fly against the wall. She moved… she had seen those moves before… Where?

The Ogre was bigger than her, but she was giving him a really hard time.

The redhead gasped as the Ogre slammed her face into the floor. She reached out and grabbed the Ogre's foot, pulling and causing him to release her and smash off balance through the floor. She started to rise to her feet when Ape hit her legs with a wood table.

She groaned and grabbed her knee. Dammit. It was still healing. She rolled to avoid another blow and stood up as fast as she could. The Ogre was coming toward her, she stepped , limping.

The Ogre was stronger than she was. She ducked to avoid a blow, but being injured and fighting against a bull like him was not the best situation. She hit the nose of the man, using both fists as a hammer.

Blue eyes blinked as she gasped. Batgirl was limping… like… and she moved like…

Barbara?

A kick slammed into the redhead's abdomen and she crashed against a container, falling to the floor unmoving. The ogre broke a pipe from a wall and wielded it in his hands to use it as a bat against her. He raised his arms to hit her when something hit his back, making him release the pipe.

Helena felt her blood boiling in anger, no one was going to hurt her guardian, the only person who had cared and loved her after her mom had died.

Before Ogre could react, another hard blow sent him flying against a wall breaking it. She turned toward the other man standing up a few meters from her.

"Who the hell are you?" Ape growled.

She jumped and landed lightly in front of him. "Your worst nightmare." She growled and took him by his lapel, hurling him against another wall.

The Ogre was standing up. She picked up the pipe he had released and ran toward him. The ogre turned just in time to see the pipe a few inches from his face. The next blow was against his head and a third one crashed against his legs making him fall again.

She ran toward the unmoving Batgirl and kneeled next to her.

"Barbara?" she asked softly, touching her cheek. She clapped her lightly trying to make her wake up. She checked to see if she had any injuries, but she seemed be okay. Damn thug, he had hit her too hard. She lifted her head and saw the lights of two police cars coming closer. She didn't have much time, she picked up the redhead and jumped to the building closest to her.

She landed softly on the rooftop, they were safe. She suddenly found herself flying. The young girl hit her face hard against the concrete roof.

Dammit, that had hurt like hell. In a blink, Batgirl had her arm twisted painfully behind her and a knee in her back.

"Don't move you, little rat," Batgirl growled, keeping a firm grip on her head to keep her down.

"Wait," the brunette gasped. She was more pissed because the ski mask had moved again and she couldn't see a thing.

"Now, talk…" She twisted the thief's arm a bit more.

"Barbara, it's me, dammit!! That hurts!" the dark figure on the floor groaned.

The redhead was surprised, how did she know her name?

"It's me, Helena, let me go."

Barbara turned her on her back and glared at the girl. "Helena?"

The brunette removed the ski mask. Barbara, shocked, released her.

"What the…?" she asked "Helena!! What the hell are you doing?"

"Saving your ass." Helena grumbled, covering her bruised eye with her hand.

"Saving my…? Watch your mouth young lady! " Batgirl scolded. "What are you doing here dressed like that?"

"Well, it's much better than being dressed like you…"

The sound of police sirens interrupted them. The redhead knew it was not safe to be there. She took Helena's arm and lifted her up. "Let's go, you and I will talk at home."

******


	20. The truth

"Are you insane?" Barbara shouted at the teenager, pacing furiously around the kitchen as she removed her yellow gloves. She had thrown her cowl on the dining room table.

"I'm not the one wearing a ridiculous costume and pretending to be a hero," the brunette grumbled, holding an ice pack on her bruised eye.

"Don't be smart." The redhead put her gloves over the table.

"Who is dressed like a bat?"

Barbara pointed at her with her finger. "I am warning you."

"I should be the angry one, you bruised my eye when I was rescuing you," Helena protested.

"How it was supposed you were that damn thief?" the redhead removed her cape and put it over a chair.

"And how was supposed to know that you were dressed as Batgirl?" Helena waved her hand toward her. "Are you crazy? Are you seriously her?"

Barbara brushed her hair back with her hand, "Yes, I am."

"I never would have thought… Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Because it's my secret identity, no one is supposed to know. Hence, the "secret" part!"

"Well, now it's not a secret, I know who you are." The teenager removed the ice pack and touched her bruised eye. It still hurt, she put the ice back on her face. "What the hell are you doing dressed as a clown?"

"Don't even start with me." The redhead glared at the teen.

Helena rolled her eyes. "Whatever, what are you doing dressed like a bat in the middle of the night, pretending to be a hero?"

"I'm not playing, I'm a crime fighter. I have been doing this for years."

"You?" Helena frowned "That Batman legend is you?"

Barbara sat down on a chair and looked at her. "No… he exists."

"Was he your boyfriend?"

The redhead pinched the bridge of her nose. This was going to be a bit difficult.

"No," she said, moving her hands toward her waist. "I admired him, I trained to be like him." She paused. "But this is not about me. Can you possibly explain to me what you were doing stealing at night?"

Helena knew the question would come sooner or later.

"What crazy idea pushed you to do that?" Barbara asked. "It's a crime!"

"I don't think it matters to you," Helena sighed.

"Whatever is bothering you, I care about."

"Doesn't look like it." The teenager stood up, annoyed. "You are never home."

"What?"

"You are always gone!" Helena shouted. "You are always busy with the Foundation, playing with your Delphi or with your friends, you never have time for me, I am always alone."

"Helena…?" Barbara looked at her, stunned.

"Tell me when you were last home at night?"

"Well… I…" the young crime fighter babbled, yes, the last days she had been out many times, but… "All right, yes… yes, maybe you are right, but it is important…"

"Yeah, playing the superhero and taking care of everybody except me." The brunette removed the ice from her eye and glared at the older woman. "Sometimes I ask myself why you asked me to come live with you. I'm just an inconvenience in your life!"

"That is not true!" Barbara stood up. "Now sit down and let me see your eye."

"Tell me then.. why are you never here?"

"Because I was stupid! Because I have been insensitive and unfair. Now, sit down."

Blue eyes blinked in surprise. The redhead knew she had the girl's attention now. She pinched the bridge of her nose. That tick was so obvious in her, maybe she needed to work on it.

"Listen… I have been stupid and selfish," the crime fighter said, "I was just thinking of myself and not of you. Forgive me. It's just that I don't always know what to do… I always lived alone and…" she waved her hands "You are a great girl, Helena, I don't want you to go. I like that we share this house… I like your company. I don't want you go to a children's home, I hated the idea when my father told me. My first instinct was to bring you to live with me, because I love you so much. I would never let anyone try to hurt you, I didn't want to hurt you... Please forgive me."

The young girl stared at her, speechless.

"Now, please sit and let me check your eye." Barbara said, softening her voice. She removed her utility belt and put it on the table too.

The teen lowered her head and sat at the table with a small sniff. Barbara didn't tell her often that she loved her.

The redhead pulled a chair and sat in front of her. She checked the bruised eye. It had been a pretty rough blow.

"You hit me hard." Helena winced, feeling warm fingers probing the bruised area.

"I'm sorry," Barbara apologized. "I didn't want to do it…"

"How did you do it? I mean… you handled that big guy so easily. Who were they?"

"You ask too many questions." The redhead stood up and opened a medical kit that was on top of the fridge.

"You fight amazing. Where did you learn that?"

"Let's make a deal. I'll answer every one of your questions if you answer just one for me." She gave some pills to Helena and a glass of water. "Take these, they will help."

"Which one?"

"Why were you stealing those jewels? Your mom would hate this."

The brunette lowered her head.

"It's against law, she would be devastated if she knew that you…"

"I don't think so," Helena interrupted her. "My mom was Catwoman."

Barbara tried to process the teenager's words. "What?"

"I know it. I know my mom was Catwoman. You know it too, don't lie to me."

Barbara found it difficult to speak. "How?"

"I'll show you." The brunette stood up and left the kitchen.

Barbara covered her face with her hand.

Damn.

She never thought Helena would discover the secret. Now what was she going to do? Now she was going to have to explain many things and she was not sure Helena would understand all of it. This was a mess. All she was supposed to do was take care of the girl and she had bruised her eye, Helena had turned into a burglar, and she had discovered she was Batgirl.

What a rotten day.

"Here." Helena threw a mask on the table.

Catwoman's mask.

Helena crossed her arms and rested her side against the doorframe.

"Where did you get this?"

"I was looking for some of mom's things. I remembered you took two boxes and put them inside your closet." Helena threw some old clippings about Catwoman robberies on the table, "and many other things."

Barbara sighed, feeling cornered.

"My mom was a thief; I want to be a thief, too, like her."

"You are making a big mistake."

"Just because you say so?" Helena smirked.

"I admired superheroes since I was a kid and I decided how to become one," Barbara said, standing up to open the freezer. She took some ice cubes. "I spent high school and college doing gymnastics, judo." She filled the ice bag with fresh ice "I have a master's degree in Library and Information Systems, I'm good at finding information on computers and other systems."

"Well, you have always been a library mouse. I already knew that," the teenager replied.

Barbara tossed the ice bag at the teen and she poured a mug of warm coffee before walking outside the kitchen, "Come with me."

Helena took the ice bag and followed her. Barbara sat on the single couch and removed her yellow boots. Helena let herself fall on the big couch and stretched out.

"My first experience as a superhero started as an accident," Barbara said crossing her legs over the couch. "I decided to go to a masquerade ball dressed as a female version of Batman, my hero. But a villain, Killer Moth, interrupted the party. I stopped a kidnapping attempt on Bruce Wayne."

"The millionaire playboy?" The girl put the ice bag on her eye.

"Yes. Batman was the best crime fighter of all, thieves were afraid of him. He is a legend. He was not pleased with me donning the cape and cowl and tried to convince me to stop, but I was too headstrong."

Helena chuckled "Come on, Barbara. You?"

"I'm serious." She took the warm cup of coffee that was on the table. "Batman decided that it was better to train me than watch me get killed. But… over the years, for me everyday was hard fight as Batgirl. A few years ago, I was shot and nearly killed by the Commorant, one of Batman's enemies. It made me think, I had a serious crisis of faith and I briefly retired as Batgirl. Batman talked to me and I returned to face down and capture the villain."

"That was when you were in the hospital?"

Barbara nodded.

"My mom said it had been a car accident."

"Your mom knew what had happened. We couldn't tell you the truth. But after the Joker shot me… I said it was enough, no more Batgirl."

"If you are no longer Batgirl, why you weren't here at night, then?" Helena asked, not understanding. "Why do you spend so many hours in the Clock? Why are you dressed as Batgirl now?"

"Easy---" Barbara raised her hand, indicating her to stop, "I quit as Batgirl, but I felt I could still do something for people. I discovered I could keep helping people with the Delphi. The system lets me investigate everything everywhere."

Helena tried to find some sense on this. "Are you a hacker?"

"A cyber vigilante, I would say."

"It's a nice way to say you are a hacker."

"I help many other heroes searching for information to trap and capture villains like the ones you saw tonight."

The young girl narrowed her eyes. "Are you telling me there are more nuts like those two?"

Barbara nodded. "In many shapes and sizes. That's our work, the crime fighters, to stop criminals so people like you can live in a safe place."

It was not so hard to believe, she had known many meta humans with weird and unexpected abilities in her life. Helena circled her finger in front of her. "And you are dressed as Batgirl because….?"

"Because for the last two months, I've been chasing after a crazy new burglar that has been stealing fine jewelry and, later, returning it." Barbara glared at the brunette.

"I just wanted to be like Mom," Helena said quietly.

Barbara understood, Helena admired her mother so much. "As I told you, you are making a big mistake. Let me explain why." Barbara sipped a bit of her coffee. "Do you know how I met your mom?"

"Hard to understand now." Helena said sarcastically, scratching her head as she leaned back again on the couch, "she was a criminal and you were a hero…."

Barbara laughed lightly. "Yes, everything was so unexpected. I caught her stealing my dad's notebook and started to pursue her. We fought between buildings. She gave me some good kicks and scratched my bat suit. I hated her that night, she called me "freckles" and "pet" all night, she insisted I was Batman's pet."

Helena giggled hard. "Freckles?"

"I don't have freckles, I don't know where she got that stupid nickname." The redhead sipped another bit of her coffee.

"You are Freckles," the brunette said.

"Don't go there!" Barbara warned.

Helena smiled.

"Your mom was an incredibly agile fighter," Barbara said amused, remembering that day. "A pain in the ass as a criminal and an expert using the whip. Your mom was a strong, independent woman, she was not really a bad person, she just got herself through life by stealing what she needed to steal to make a go of things; and she liked to help others. She had a big heart."

"I know."

"Okay, so… your mom wanted to harass me and, running away, she went into a nude club to hide from me."

"Nude club?" the teenager asked, surprised.

"Yeah, I tried to convince the manger to let me in, while Catwoman teased me from just the other side of the doors. I couldn't convince the manager and I had to… disrobe."

The laugh of the young girl was loud and hard. "You are joking."

"I promise I'm not." Barbara lifted her hand, "it was the most embarrassing moment in my whole life. I could keep my cowl because it was a masquerade party. I finally found your mother talking with some henchmen. I managed to recover my dad's notebook and escape-- dressed, of course. Your mom chased me and we fought again on a rooftop. She explained to me, then, that she needed the book to save someone's life. In that moment, your mom was shot in the shoulder by a mysterious sniper, causing her to fall from the building. I could prevent her from hitting the ground and made the decision to help her."

"And you did it."

"Yes, we rescued her, but we were in the middle of a giant battle. Batman arrived in time to help us. He was really angry with us and scolded us really hard. Your mother and I had some other encounters; me chasing her, her running away… but…" Barbara said, looking Helena "I remember, too, that she helped Batman and me to save many lives on many occasions. She respected life. She was a thief, not a murderer."

For Helena, all that was new. "And you were friends since then?"

"Of course not, but we respected each other." The redhead smiled at the teenager. "Over the years, I discovered who was she, and she knew who I was. I never could get proof of any of her robberies. She was smart. She had an intense social life and one day she just disappeared."

"Disappeared?"

"Yes," Barbara said, tapping her fingers on the arm of the couch "I didn't hear anything about her until nine years later when she came back to New Gotham. I found her in a grocery store. She told me she had quit her life of crime. Of course I didn't believe a word, but she invited me to dinner to prove to me she was telling the truth." The redhead looked at Helena. "That was when I met you for the first time."

"I don't remember…" Helena said.

"You were just a small child… She told me she had quit everything… just for you. She didn't want the life she'd had, for you." Barbara leaned forward crossing her hands over her knees. "..She wanted you had a good education and a normal life. We became friends then, I discovered the wonderful human being that Selina Kyle was… Now, do you understand why I say you are committing a mistake? She changed her life just… for you."

Helena removed the ice bag of her eye and her let gaze get lost in the ceiling. A deep silence filled the place.

"Who is my dad Barbara?" the brunette asked with a whisper.

The crime fighter didn't answer immediately, she took her time thinking about what to say. "She didn't want you…"

"You know who he is, right?" Helena insisted.

"I prefer to keeps his name as she wanted."

"If you don't tell me his name, I'll know anyway," Helena didn't bat an eye when her blue eyes found Barbara's. "I'd like to know his name. I'd like you to be honest with me and tell me about him. I need to know, it's my life, Barbara…. please."

The kid trusted her. It was hard not to betray that trust. The redhead nodded.

"Your mom never told me who your dad was," she clarified. "She wanted to protect you from all her enemies and his enemies."

"Does he have enemies too?" the teen asked "What kind of dysfunctional family do I have?"

Barbara stood and crossed her arms, pacing in front of the couch. "The day you cut your hair short, I recognized him in you. But I couldn't find anyone who could confirm my suspicions. After I installed the Delphi, I did some a research and I ran some tests on your hair and his hair. The results fit perfectly well, you and he have the same DNA."

"Did I know him?" Helena sat, moving her feet to the floor.

"A few times. His name is Bruce Wayne."

"The millionaire playboy?" The teenager was surprised "Come on!"

Barbara shook her head. "He is… and there is more." She scratched her head. "Your mother knew your father fighting in the streets; they were enemies at first. She was the criminal and he was the good guy… Batman."

"What?" Well, this was worst than a TV drama."Are you nuts?"

"No." Barbara moved her head "They fell in love and you were born. Selina knew your life would be in danger if Batman's enemies or her enemies discovered you were their daughter; they could use you against him. Selina moved to Paris, he never knew she was pregnant. In fact, he still doesn't know he has a daughter."

The kid was speechless. Barbara sat next to her and rubbed her back. "Leslie will tell you, she is the only person in whom your mom trusted and confessed the truth."

"Leslie?"

"Your mom asked her not to tell anyone her secret." The young crime fighter bit her lips "I had my doubts before asking her. When Alfred saw you… He and I thought you are so much like him."

"Alfred? What does Alfred have to do with all this?" Helena asked.

"He is Bruce's Wayne butler, he knows his secret identity, my secret identity and he knows about your mom."

Helena closed her eyes. Maybe she could sell her life story to a network.

"Alfred knows everything about us," Barbara explained, "he has always helped us. He's the most loyal friend we could ever ask for."

"It's cool, eh?" Helena said ironically. "So… I'm the daughter of a famous criminal and a famous crime fighter?"

"No…" the redhead said, gently, "you are the daughter of Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne, a wonderful and incredible woman and a man who has risked his life to save countless people. You are the daughter of two incredible human beings."

The young girl lowered her head "It's confusing, you know?"

"I understand." Barbara moved her arm around the teenager's back.

"Where is he now?"

"I don't know, he just left… I looked for him, but I couldn't find him. "

"He left?" Blue eyes turned to look at Barbara. "Why?"

The redhead took a few seconds before answering. "I guess he couldn't handle your mom's death and he chose to leave. Alfred told me he spent days locked up in his room, depressed."

"He is Batman… he could find and kill my mother's murderer."

"He trapped the Joker and sent him to jail."

"Why he didn't kill him?" Helena growled.

"Because it's against the law."

"That criminal already broke the law when he sent someone to kill my mother, Barbara."

"Yes, Helena, I know, but that is not how it works."

"How does it work, then?" Helena stood up, glaring at her. "He deserves justice? Where was justice when he killed my mom? Batman must kill him!"

"He can't do that." The redhead shook her head.

"Why not?" the teenager shouted. "That man killed my mother! He stole my life! Why does he have any right to be alive? Why does he get to live when my mother doesn't?"

"Helena, please." Barbara stood up, trying to calm the teen.

"Where was Batman when my mother was stabbed?"

"We never imagined this would happen, Helena."

"He is a coward! He ran away! He didn't make him pay!"

"He is not a coward! He did the right thing."

"What's the right for him?" Helena took a step toward the redhead "What's the right thing for you, Barbara? Protecting criminals that kill innocent people? Is that what you do?"

"No." Barbara pinched the bridge of her nose. "Helena, don't…"

"You two only dress as clowns to go out and play a game!" Helena yelled.

"This is not a game!" the redhead shouted her. "We risk our lives every night."

"What kind of fucking hero are you? You are a coward like him!" the teenager yelled.

"Never call me coward again!" Barbara pointed at her with her finger. "You don't know what this life is!"

"You are right," Helena growled. "I don't know what that life is and I don't want to know! My sense of justice is different, I will never rest until I've handed out justice for my mom."

"Killing that man?"

"An eye for an eye." Blue eyes flashed angrily.

"We don't do that."

"Speak for yourself. Good night, Barbara." The brunette turned and walked toward her room.

Barbara watched her go, shaking her head. For a moment, she thought of following, but she arrested her movement. She needed time to think and calm down, it had been too much for just one night.

Her being Batgirl.

Her mom…

Her father…

Batman.

She rubbed her face with her hands.

Too much.

*************************


	21. Conflict

"Leslie?" Barbara opened her door in surprise when she saw the old doctor outside her apartment.

"Hi, may I come in?" the old doctor asked.

"Sure, sure… what's wrong?" Barbara waved her hand toward the living room.

"Helena came to my house." Leslie removed her coat.

"Is she okay?" Barbara asked quickly. After their talk, Helena had left and she didn't have any idea where the teen had gone. She'd thought it would be good to give her some time to think.

"I don't think so. She is angry, angry at me, at you, at Bruce."

The redhead brushed her hair back with her fingers, feeling overwhelmed. "I caught her stealing," she finally said.

"What?"

"She discovered who her mom was and tried to be like her…" Barbara put her left hand on her forehead. "She confessed that she had read Selina's old diaries, newspapers and… she admires her so much and she tried to be like her. She began to steal at night; she is the enigmatic jewelry thief from the last few weeks… "

"Are you kidding?"

"I already discovered her, I had to tell her about mother, that her she had quit for her and … she asked me who her dad is; she told me that if I didn't tell her that she could find it out sooner or later. I did it… It's too much for her…" The redhead sat on a chair in the dining room "She is so obsessed with her mom. She just thinks about revenge and she doesn't understand why Bruce, as Batman, didn't look for the murderer and killed him."

Leslie shook her head and sat next to the younger woman. "Yes, she told me the same, she is angry about it, and because we didn't tell her about him." The old doctor sighed. "I told her I couldn't betray her mother's decision."

"I never expected her to react in this way." Barbara was worried. Her mind worked, trying to find a solution to all this.

"Me neither."

"Did she tell you where she was going?"

"No, she was just so mad."

The redhead stood up. "I need to look for her."

"What?"

"I must, Les… she is confused. She might hurt herself. Can you stay here and call me if she comes back?"

"Are you going to dress again as…?" Leslie fixed her eyes on her, "You promised…."

"I know, but it's the most effective way to look for her," Barbara explained.

"I must admit it's true. But… what are you going to tell her?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" Leslie wondered.

"I'll figure it out later."

"That is not a good idea when we are talking about Helena."

"I don't have any other options."

"I hope you think of a good idea… or this will get worse."

"Me too."

* * *

Helena was really annoyed and mad. She had been jumping between rooftops until she finally ended up in a bar. She was a minor, but it was easy to give a few dollars to the bouncer. After a few hours, she was sick of the smoke and the loud music. Why had Batman, who supposedly 'loved' her mom, not killed her mother's assassin and, instead, sent him to jail?

He would be free in a few years, he was alive, breathing, and… and she had lost everthing, her life, her family, her world.

She finished another shot and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. She was living a damn nightmare. Her mom had been the most famous female burglar in the city and her dad the most feared crime fighter, the legend was not a legend, it was real… and she was his daughter.

And Barbara, Barbara was her guardian angel that she had always thought was a dream. It was real, but it wasn't a real guardian angel, she was a crime fighter too, and her mother's best friend. She wiped her nose with the sleeve of her hand. Well, maybe in someway Batgirl was a guardian angel for the people that she had saved from criminals.

She never thought Barbara could be so active… She always thought she was a library mouse, a person who would never hurt a fly and, now… she had seen her fight and she could really kick ass. She had to admit, Barbara was an amazing fighter. She had impressed her. She really would love to fight like the older woman.

Maybe she could sell the copyrights to the last months of her life to a network.

She felt drunk enough now. She wasn't supposed to be able to drunk, but… well, she was, maybe she had mixed too many drinks.

She stepped onto the cold streets of New Gotham, with no idea about where she wanted to be, she could just feel that anger burning inside her, that desperate need to let it go against anything.

As she walked, she noticed a group of men annoying a couple on the street. Maybe they could help her burn off a bit of her anger.

It was not difficult to start a fight. She had the agility and the strength to knock out a man taller and heavier than her. They were surprised by the power of the blows landed by the small figure.

The brunette felt adrenaline pumping through her veins, she was excited. Every blow felt marvelous. She knocked back two of the thugs, but, unfortunately, she was not as skilled as them at street fights… and she was drunk.

Helena received a blow straight to her jaw. She saw stars and stumbled, crashing against a trash container. He had caught her by surprise with a heavy stick. She felt the darkness enveloping her and could barely hear the street sounds around her.

"Well," he said, walking toward her with a stick in hand, "seems the little bitch needs a lesson."

The thug lifted the stick on his hand to hit the brunette, when a batarang hit him on his head.

Batgirl landed between Helena and the thug and crouched, staring at the startled man.

"Hi." She grinned. "Wanna play?"

"Bitch." The man swiped at her with the stick, but she blocked it with her arm and hit him in his face with her fist.

Batgirl turned to look to Helena, who stood up on trembling legs, using the crash container as support.

"Are you looking for trouble?" she asked.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" the young woman growled, rubbing the side of her face, it hurt.

"What a vocabulary! Where did you learn that?"

"Look out!" Helena shouted.

The redhead ducked and Helena punched a guy hard in his face. "You were not invited."

"I rarely am, " Batgirl answered. "That was a nice punch."

"That is a bad habit, you know?"

Batgirl kicked another thug in his gut and, taking a piece of stick from the ground, hit his knees, knocking him down. She took the thugs by the necks of their shirts and dragged them close to a stairway.

"Who called you? Why are you following me?" Helena said, glaring at her.

"I was not following you, I was looking for you." The crimefighter took out a rope from her utility belt and tied up the men.

"Nobody asked you to do it!"

"I don't need anyone to tell me what to do." She turned and faced the brunette. "I usually protect innocent people, or stupid people, that don't know what danger is."

Helena's eyes changed to feral. "Who the fuck do you think you are?"

Batgirl pushed the girl against the wall, angry "What the hell are you thinking? These guys could kill you!"

"I can handle them alone. I don't need your help." Helena pushed her hands back.

Batgirl wrinkled her nose. "Are you drunk?"

"That is not your fucking problem."

"You have been drinking! Are you crazy?" Batgirl shouted at her. "Do you think fighting is easy?"

"It's just about hitting, kicking and punching."

"No, it's much more."

"Yeah," Helena narrowed her eyes "maybe it should involve killing."

"We don't kill."

"Fuck that!" Helena walked to the corner of the street.

Barbara reached out and grabbed her arm. "Do you think that just because you are meta that you are invincible? That kind of thinking will get you killed quickly." The crimefighter reached down and opened one of the thug's coat. She took out a pistol and showed it to the brunette. "Meta or not, you are dead when a bullet hits your head."

"Maybe that would be best for everyone."

"Dammit! What is wrong with you? Do you think all this is easy for me? It was not easy for your mother, and I know it's not easy for you!! But this doesn't change anything! This does not change who you are!"

"I don't know who am I!! Don't you understand?" Helena shouted. "I don't know who I am anymore! I thought I was just Selina's Kyle daughter, but I was living a lie!"

The redhead pinched the bridge of her nose. "What lie? Your mother's love was a lie? Is that what you think?"

"You know what I'm talking about! You lied to me!"

"I didn't lie to you! I didn't know anything about your father!"

"I'm talking about you!!"

"I never lied to you!" Batgirl said.

"You did!" Helena pushed her back. "What is the fuck about Batgirl? Why didn't you tell me?"

The redhead sighed. "Can we go home and talk there? This isn't…"

"No!" Helena pushed her back again. "I don't want to talk to you!"

"Helena, I think it's best if we go home."

The brunette tried to punch Batgirl's face, but the redhead ducked.

"Hey, calm down!" she said.

The young woman tried to hit her again, unsuccessfully.

"I said, calm down!" Batgirl ordered, grabbing her wrist.

"I hate you!" Helena growled and charged, grabbing the redhead by her waist and knocking her to the ground.

Both rolled on the ground. This time Helena connected her fist with the redhead's face. The crime fighter managed to get a hold of the teen by her wrist before she could connect another punch and pushed her back. She rolled and stood up easily.

"Helena, please… calm down."

Angry, the brunette jumped at her. The red head avoided her, the dark haired girl threw a punch to her face. Barbara ducked and blocked another punch with her left arm. She stepped back and blocked another fist. Helena was blind with anger and she didn't want to hurt her.

Helena's inability to land a blow was making her more and more frustrated.

"Helena, please…" the redhead said gently, grabbing both of her wrists. "Please calm down."

The young girl tried to free herself, but Batgirl kept a hard grip on her. She tried to pull free, but the older woman was too strong. Helena felt so betrayed, so helpless, so alone; everybody had lied to her, her world had been a lie. Suddenly, she couldn't take it anymore. She cried out and fell on her knees.

The redhead felt her heart break and released the girl's wrists. "Helena…" she tried to touch her, but the brunette pushed herself back.

"Don't touch me!"

Batgirl shook her head, "I'm sorry."

Helena didn't answer, she just kept sobbing. Batgirl removed her cowl and kneeled in front of her.

"Please, Helena, let's go home."

"That is not my home…"

"You know it is. Please, let's go home…"

Helena wiped her nose and stood up, stumbling, Barbara tried to help, but Helena lifted her hand, rejecting the help. The redhead sighed sadly. The young woman began to walk slowly down the street. Barbara looked at her helplessly. She didn't know what she could do, she put her cowl back on and followed her.

The walk home had been in total silence. As soon as she had arrived, Helena had locked herself in her room. Barbara removed her cowl and sat on the living room couch, covering her face with her hand. She felt Leslie's arm wrap around her gently as she started crying.

* * *

The brunette stared at the city below her as she sat on the cornice of the tall building. She had been there for hours, trying to find an answer. She didn't know why she liked that place, but it was a corner where she could hide and feel calm.

A calm that had gone a long time ago. Now, she was annoyed, angry, furious, confused. Who was she supposed to be? Who did her mother want her to be? Who did she want to be?

Who was she?

She didn't know who she was anymore. It was so confusing. She was not sure about what she was feeling. There were many feelings, many unexpected feelings all mixed up inside her.

She laced her fingers and looked at them. She didn't know if she was angry at her mother. She missed her so much, it was hard to feel angry with someone you love so much.

Being angry with Barbara hurt. She was the person closest to her. She didn't have family any more, she couldn't say that man was her father. If he was, and if he had loved her mother so much, why hadn't he killed her mother's murderer? He was supposed to be the Batman.

The Dark Night, the most feared crime fighter in New Gotham had just left and run away as a coward.. What a brave man.

Why was this happening to her? What had she done? All in her life had been so perfect until now. What could be worst than waking one day and discovering that your entire world is completely different than the one you thought you were living.

She wondered when she had pissed off God. She really wanted to know.

"Can we talk?" Barbara asked from behind her.

"I don't want to talk." Helena said truthfully. She was not in the mood to see or talk to Barbara.

"I think we need to." The redhead walked toward her and stopped a few steps away.

"Why?" Helena pressed her lips together, "Because you say so?"

"No, because I think you misunderstood some things."

Helena laughed to herself and turned to see her guardian, "You think so?"

"Yes."

"And what about what I think?"

"Helena, I know this is not easy, but you must understand."

"What must I understand? That no one asked me? I'm the one who lost her mother! I`m the only one that didn't know who her father was!"

"Your mother was protecting you."

"Everybody lied to me!" the young woman stood up and faced Barbara. "Did I misunderstand that?"

"I didn't lie to you! I didn't know who he was!" Barbara tried to explain. "I just discovered it a few weeks ago!"

"Why didn't you tell me then?"

"I didn't know if it was the right thing to do! You were hurt! I talked to Lesl…."

"I don't care what Leslie thinks! Why do you two think that you have the right to decide what I should know?" Helena shouted.

"You don't understand the risk associated with people knowing who your mother was, the risk that people find out that you are Batman's daughter!"

"I don't fucking care about those people!" The brunette paced, annoyed, her fists in balls. "I needed to know! It was my right!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't know what to do!" Barbara sighed. "Your mother…."

"This is not about my mother, it's about you! Why didn't you tell me?" Helena growled, facing her "I trusted you!"

"Helena, it shocked me when I found out who your father was, too! He is my friend! Why is knowing so important? How would things change by knowing his name?"

Frustrated, Helena waved her hands. "I don't know! But I needed to know! I feel stupid knowing that everybody knew about my life except me! I don't know who I am anymore!" She shook her head. "I don't know who I want to be… I don't know anything…"

"Helena, don't judge yourself based on him…" Barbara said sadly. "You are you, you are the same person that your mother raised."

"No." Helena shook her head. "I'm not that girl anymore."

"I love you just the same."

"You loved the other Helena. Now you don't know me anymore."

Helena growled, walking inside the apartment. Barbara lifted her arm to stop , but arrested her movement. Helena wasn't going to listen to her. She took a deep breath and stared into the dark night. She hated what had happened, she hated that Helena felt so betrayed.

And she couldn't do anything… but she was not going to give up on her. She knew that the girl felt alone and she needed support. Helena might try to be cold and distant, but inside she needed to be loved, she was still the same Helena… and she was not going to fail her anymore.

**to be continued**

* * *


	22. Kidnapp

* * *

Helena was not in the mood to go to the school, but at least it mean being far from the clock tower and Barbara. She didn't want to see her again in her whole life. She was so disappointed, she had trusted her. She had really trusted her and…

She had been to her first three classes, but it was hard to concentrate. She spent almost all day hiding in the gardens, just staring at nothing. She wasn't in the mood to take classes, well, she wasn't in the mood to do anything.

There were so many mixed emotions. She hadn't talked to the redhead and barely seen her the last week. She just went to school and back to the house, locking herself in her room. She checked her watch. It was time to walk home. To delay her arrival, she'd been walking, rather than riding the bus or getting a ride with a friend. It was much better to walk. She put her earphones in her ears and turned on her walkman.

She took her time walking. She had to cross a small park surrounded by trees. She liked it; it had small bridges and a lake. She crossed under one of the bridges below, above her was a bike path. She stopped and looked around, she felt danger. It was a weird feeling.

"Well, well, the young lady is here." A tall man appeared suddenly in front of her, with two more thugs behind him, he had a strange gun in his hand. It was one of the big thugs that she had run into a few nights before. "It seems you have some important friends."

She turned her head, behind her was another guy pointing at her with another strange gun. He grinned at her.

"I was wondering…" the man in front of her said, "if you could help us find Batgirl. We have business with her. You know her, right?"

The lithe brunette prepared her fists to fight. The man laughed.

"No, we don't want to fight you. You will help us find Batgirl."

The man behind her shot his gun at the same time as the man in front of her. She tried to jump, but a heavy metallic net fell over her, and then a second one. She struggled to get to her feet, but the net made it difficult to move. One of the men was on her and she hit him with her elbow .

"Hold her!" the man shouted, holding his nose.

The second man was on her in a second and the third one too. They pushed her against the ground, trying to immobilize her. She managed to kick another guy in his face.

"I got her!" one of them shouted, hugging her.

Helena felt some one holding her legs and a prick in her thigh. This could not be good. Almost immediately, a heavy sensation invaded her body, she felt stunned, dazed. With one last effort, she pushed back the man that was holding her arms and kicked the one who was restraining her feet. She rolled and put her hand on the concrete ground to avoid falling, but a deep sleep overwhelmed her. Her elbows felt weak and she fell to the ground.

"She's asleep," said the man with the syringe, seeing that she was still.

Helena's eyes fluttered as she tried to keep them open, until the drug finally overpowered her.

"Damn, crazy girl." The one that Helena had hit with her elbow cleaned the blood from his nose.

"I told you she was strong. Pick her up… hurry," his partner said, looking around and removing the net covering the girl, "I don't want the police coming around."

One of them put her over his shoulder and ran toward a hidden car.

* * *

At the foundation, Barbara stared at the city below her through one of the large windows in her office. She still couldn't find a way to get close to the rebellious teenager. Helena was avoiding her at every corner. She wondered if she had been so difficult when she was young.

She remembered that when she had lost her father and mother, she had buried herself in books. Reading and living those fantastic stories had helped her to soothe the pain inside her. Helena had reacted in a very different way, she had always been impulsive, but now she was becoming rebellious and aggressive.

An aggression that was most dangerous given her meta skills. Helena needed to learn to use and handle her skills, she could hurt someone with her impulsivity.

Maybe it was time to train her.

The phone distracted her from her thoughts. She picked it up.

It's some man. He says it's urgent, her secretary said. He said it's about Helena.

Barbara closed her eyes, what new trouble was she in now? "All right." She waited a few seconds

"Barbara Gordon…"

Miss Gordon, we need to talk.

"Who is speaking?"

My name is not important a male voice said I know you handle the Foundation and that you have significant amounts of money at your disposal. I want four million or you will never see the girl again. Small, unmarked bills only.

"Excuse me?" the redhead frowned. What was he talking about?

If you want see Helena Kyle alive again, you will do exactly what I say. No cops."

"Helena?" The brunette was supposed to be at school.

We have her. I hope you don't ask for proof of life, it would be a shame to cut off one of her fingers.

"You are lying…"

Check the ID on your phone, Do you recognize the number?

Green eyes fixed on her phone screen. It was Helena's mobile.

"Don't hurt her!" Barbara growled angrily. It was hard to believe someone could kidnap her.

We won't as long as you follow my instructions the voice on the phone said.

"If you are lying…" she threatened.

The man interrupted her Batgirl must bring the money, tomorrow night, to the old warehouse on Mantle Street, 11 pm.

"Batgirl?" The condition worried Barbara.

Be on time or you will never see the girl alive again.

"But…"

Don't play games with me, Miss Gordon… or should I say Batgirl?"

Barbara froze on the line.

The line was cut.

"Hello? Hello? Dammit!" Barbara growled. She called her secretary. "Carol, who called me?"

"He said he couldn't give me his name, but it was urgent, about Miss Kyle. Something wrong?"

"No… I… I just forgot ask his name…. thanks. Please call to the school and ask what time she left." She hung up the phone and dialed another number. She needed to contact Helena's friends and Alfred to try to figure out what had happened.

* * *

The brunette stirred, she had trouble opening her eyes. She felt numb and heavy. She realized she was in a small room. It was an old room. Everything seemed be surreal and blurry. She tried to coordinate her body movements, but it was as if her brain was disconnected from the rest of her body.

She had recognized one of the men on the bridge, he had been one of the guys that she had fought last week, before Batgirl had arrived to ruin her night.

Why had they brought her here? Where was she?

She heard voices. Men were talking. She managed to barely open her eyes and noticed two men talking at a table close to her.

"Barbara Gordon?" one of them said. "She is the president of the Wayne Foundation."

She shivered when she heard her guardian's name.

"That foundation handles millions of dollars. We got a good business here, I asked for a few million in exchange for the girl."

"She will refuse…"

"Of course not, I told her I know she is Batgirl. We were lucky to have seen her remove her mask that night. I recognized her face immediately."

"What are you planning to do?"

"Take the money, and trap her of course." He crossed his arms over the table "Do you know how much some people would pay to have her? Wow, you don't have any idea."

Helena felt her heart thumping hard against her chest. They were planning to hurt Barbara. She couldn't let them do it. She tried to move her arms and realized she was tied to the bed.

"And the girl?" the man noticed the girl was regaining consciousness. "She is awake."

"Keep her drugged, I don't want trouble. She hits like a mule." The man rubbed his jaw. "We don't need her after our business it's done. I have called several infamous criminals, they are interested in Batgirl, for the right price, of course. She has sent many of their henchmen to prison. I need you to get everything ready." He stood up. "I must prepare the trap."

"All right."

Drugged, yes, that was the reason she felt so numb. She pulled her hands, trying to free her self.

"Well, well," someone sat next to her. "Seems you are awake, but don't worry, little girl…." She felt him pushing her sleeve up.

She tried to pull back, but he kept a strong grip on her arm. "The boss wants you quiet. You gave him a lot of trouble the other day, but maybe he will let us have our revenge later. First, we are going to cut Batgirl in slices. Later we can teach you manners, you broke my nose the other night."

Helena felt his cold fingers on her arm. She struggled when she felt the prick of the needle in her skin.

"Easy…" the man said, holding her down easily. "It was a lucky my boss recognized Barbara Gordon that night when she was with you… we were out of jail in just two days and it was easy to find out that you live with her." He removed the syringe, "I'm not sure she really is Batgirl, but the boss insists she is… Whatever, we demanded a lot of money for you. I don't care who she is or not, I just want my money and when I get it, I will make you pay for breaking my nose."

The man stood up. The images around her turned to long shadows. Flashes of lights filled her vision; her head felt so heavy, the room seemed to spin around her. She didn't want them to hurt her, Barbara was her only family; the only one who really cared for her. It was her fault. She was scared, really scared, and helpless. She needed to find a way to warn the redhead that it was a trap. The man kept talking to her, but she couldn't understand what he was saying, the darkness enveloped her.

* * *

"They took her!" Barbara paced on the main platform at the Delphi nervous. "I must go!"

"I know Miss Barbara," Alfred said, "but he knows who are you, it's a trap. When they get you they will surely kill her."

Barbara covered her face with her left hand. "I never should have removed my cowl, I was just trying to get her to understand that I'm her friend. That I never betrayed her."

"I'm sure she knows it."

"No, she is so angry, Alfred..." She fixed her eyes on him. "You didn't see that look in her face… I … I failed her."

"I don't think so," Alfred said. "It's natural for her to react that way. Suddenly, she knew secrets about her past that she never could have imagined."

Barbara put her hands on her hips. "Helena is meta, she's strong, she's fast. Keeping her restrained would not be easy. I'm afraid they will hurt her…."

"They want Batgirl…"

"And the money… when they have both, they will kill us…. If Selina was alive, she would kill me."

"It's not your fault, Miss Barbara."

She sighed, "It is… I let them see me… I argued with her in the street…" The redhead felt so guilty. "It's a beginner mistake. I put her at risk, unnecessarily!"

"Miss Barbara, you need to focus on rescuing her now. I don't think it is productive to keep punishing yourself," Alfred pointed out.

"Yes, you are right." She sat on a chair at the Delphi.

"I don't think they are professionals, you said they looked like street thugs."

"Yes, I still think that."

"And you said you left them tied up and the police picked them up."

Green eyes looked at him. "Police records. The police take pictures and prints of criminals."

She turned to the main computer of the Delphi.

"I'm glad you are thinking straight now."

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	23. Angel

"Is she coming?" he asked..

"Boss said yes, she will come."

Helena heard two men talking outside the room where she was locked. She stirred and tried to organize her thoughts. She was scared, scared of being so helpless and not knowing what would happen to her.

"Batgirl is dangerous."

"Boss said he will trap her."

"Does he really know who she is?"

"He says so… But I'm not sure."

Helena opened her eyes and looked around, everything was blurry. She had to get out, she needed to tell Barbara it was a trap. They wanted to hurt her. She pulled her arms. She was still chained to the bed frame.

Crap.

The voices kept talking outside.

"I think he invented that story and now he just wants to make money with the girl."

"He can write a book if he wants, I just want my money."

"The boss says he will sell her."

"Barbara Gordon is not just any person, I think he is planning kidnap her, too, and ask for more money."

"She is a damn beauty. Maybe we can have some fun with her."

Helena pulled again and felt the metal of the bed frame bending. She could try again. Closing her eyes brief seconds to concentrate, she pulled once more. It didn't move an inch.

She rested her head on the hard mattress. She had been going home the same way the last few days. They surely had followed her and, knowing she was strong, they had prepared the net to trap her. Now she understood many things, they had kidnapped her because they had seen her talking with Batgirl that night.

Her mom had been right to hide who she was, to hide that she had been Catwoman and Batman's daughter. She would have been in constant danger all the time. It hadn't been Barbara's fault.

Now they wanted to catch the redhead.

She needed to stop her.

She was her only family. Fear overtook her, she didn't want to lose her too, as she'd lost her mother.

She pulled hard again, this time the metal bent and broke.

She tried to stand up. That was when she felt someone trying to hold her. Her heart beat faster, she couldn't let them trap her again. Using her feet, she pushed herself back and she fell to the floor, with the man still holding her. Someone tried to grab her feet and she struggled. The men shouted something. Desperate, she tried unsuccessfully to break his hold.

"Easy, girl…" the man hugging her said in her ear. "Cocktail time."

"No!" she cried, frustrated, when she felt a needle in her arm. "Barbara! Let me go!"

She hated being drugged, it was like being in the middle of nothing. She felt the numbness surrounding her body and claiming her senses.

"Barbara…" she mumbled. She needed to tell her, she needed to fight against the drug, but it so easily overwhelmed her; she didn't know what they were giving her that knocked her out like that.

Closing her eyes, she surrendered to the heaviness. She heard distant loud noises and grunts; but she was too dazed to move or open her eyes.

******

The redhead arrived at the warehouse a few minutes before the scheduled time. Reading the records of the thugs, she realized they were minor burglars without much experience. She knew there were four men surrounding the place.

She had knocked down two of them before entering the building. Her goal was to rescue Helena first.

There were two or three inside.

Her instinct was good, almost all of them were outside waiting for her. She slipped through the air conditioning duct and, in a few seconds, was inside the three floor building. She landed on the third floor and walked silently through the rooms, looking for the young girl.

She heard noise on the floor below. Carefully ,she walked down the stairway. The girl was struggling against two men, who held her against the floor. She didn't think twice, but used both hands as a hammer and knocked one of the men on the back of his head. The other one tried to react and she kicked him.

With another hard blow, he was unconscious like his partner. Batgirl kneeled next to the unmoving brunette, petrified that she was hurt.

"Helena?" she asked "Helena, it's me, are you okay?"

The redhead moved her lightly. Helena tried to move and mumbled something Uncomprehensible.

"Helena?" the crime fighter knew something was wrong. She checked the girl pupils; They were dilated and feral. She noticed a syringe on the floor. She picked it up and opened it to smell. They had drugged her. She put it inside a plastic bag and secured it to her belt. She put her hand on her neck.

"Alfred, I have her. She is fine, but they drugged her." Batgirl lifted the teen easily, hugging her. She clapped her cheeks, "Helena, it's me. Can you hear me?"

Golden eyes tried to open.

"Helena?"

"Barbara?"

"Yes, it's me…"

The young girl could barely stay awake. She narrowed her pupils trying to focus, but everything was distorted. She stared at her. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Angel?" Helena mumbled, almost in a whisper. The angel that she remembered when she was a child was with her again.

The redhead was surprised. She caressed her cheek. "No, it's me, Barbara."

"Angel…" The brunette rested her head on the Barbara's shoulder, feeling safe, and closed her eyes.

"I'll take you home," Batgirl said.

"It's… a trap." Helena said in a barely audible voice.

"What?"

"He wants to kill you…"

"Don't worry; I'll be fine," the redhead said, lifting her.

She walked outside the room and looked around. She moved the brunette to the upper floor. She realized, then, that it would be difficult to try to escape with Helena. She was too heavy and there was still a man or two wandering about. She needed to trap them first.

She put Helena in a room on the upper floor. "Stay here," she whispered, checking around "I'll be right back."

The redhead felt the brunette's hand on hers.

"Don't go…"

Batgirl smiled and patted her arm. "I'll be fine, you be quiet."

"No…" Helena mumbled, she wanted so desperately stop her. "He wants you…"

The crime fighter noticed she was restless. She cupped her cheek with her palm.

"Hey, hey, easy… Helena, listen to me."

The young girl tried to open her eyes and look at her.

"Hel… it's fine…" the redhead said "Calm down, I'll be fine, I know it's a trap, I can handle it."

"Barbara…" the brunette mumbled.

"I need you to help me," Batgirl whispered. "Don't make any noise or they will know you are here. Don't make any noise, please. Understand? I promise I'll back, okay? We'll go home."

The teenager nodded lightly. Batgirl moved back and hid her with old cardboard boxes. She moved silently outside the room and went toward the stairs.

She walked downstairs. Batgirl was taking the last step when she heard the sound of a gun cocking.

"Well, I didn't expect to find you here." he said.

"Well, you invited me, I couldn't refuse," she said, turning to see him and crossing her arms. He was tall and heavy.

"Where is the money?" the man asked.

"No money for criminals like you."

"I see the girl is gone," he waved his gun toward the empty room, "but I still have you."

"Yes, you have me and now?"

"I know who you are…"

"And I know who are you." She smirked "A common burglar trying to get rich quick."

"Laugh…" he said, "but I know your secret identity, you are lost."

"I'm here boss," a voice behind her said.

She turned, she was not expecting another guest at the party.

"Everybody will know who you are." The first man grinned, pointing at her with a gun.

"Come on, Boss, stop that," the man behind Batgirl said.

"You saw her, too!"

"It was dark, I'm not sure. Just ask for the money and let's go!"

"Don't try any tricks," the man growled at Batgirl.

"I wouldn't think of it." With a fast turn, she disabled the man at her back with her left arm and ducked, sweeping her leg, making the man in front of her fall to the floor. She straightened up and punched the man still behind her in the face. He hit his back against the wall.

Batgirl turned and kicked one of the guns downstairs.

"Damn bitch." The man that had been threatening her, attacked her. She blocked his first blow with her arm and she connected a fist to his gut. He stepped back and she hit him again, using both hands as a fist.

He finally connected a punch to her face and he grabbed her by her waist. Both crashed against one of the walls, which broke under their weight. Dust covered the air.

Batgirl took him by his lapel and they rolled. She was on top of him and punched him in his face. She heard then a familiar sound behind her and she jumped to the side as the gun was fired. The impact hit the burglar that she'd been fighting straight in his chest. She took a batarang from her belt and threw it at the man who had shot the gun. It hit him in the head, he fell to the ground.

She exhaled, that had been close. She turned and checked the man bleeding on the floor. She took his pulse, he was dead.

"Alfred?" She put her hand over her neck.

Yes, madam?

"It's clear. Are you close?"

Yes, two blocks away

"Bring the car here, I'll need help getting Helena home."

What if the criminal alerts the police to your secret identity? the gentle butler asked.

"I don't think we need to worry. He is already dead. I'll explain everything later." She walked upstairs.

She found the brunette lying on the place she'd left her. She removed the cardboard boxes and when she touched her, the girl pushed back.

"Hey, it's me…" the redhead said gently. "Easy,.. Helena? It's me… Barbara…" She took the teen's hand in her own. The girl squeezed her fingers lightly. "Yes, that's it. Now, we must go, the police are coming. Let me help you…"

The crime fighter moved an arm around her back and helped her to stand up. She practically had to drag her. When she was outside, a black car was waiting for her. Alfred hurried to open the door.

*****************************

"Barbara."

The redhead turned her head to where she heard the voice. She was practically dragging the young girl, assisted by Alfred, inside the Clock Tower. Leslie was waiting for her.

"Thanks God you are here," Barbara said. "Come this way, I have a lab."

"I came as soon as you called me." The old woman followed her. "Thank God. Where did you find her?"

"Long story….I'm worried, her heart beat is slow…" Barbara explained, "I have been checking her pulse and it's weak, her pupils are feral."

"She was drugged, you told me. That's probably why."

"Yes, but I don't know how much they gave her. They could have overdosed her to keep her down." She managed to get the brunette on a medical table.

"Yes, you are right. Let's see." Leslie took a small light. She opened one of her eyelids. The girl protested weakly and Barbara grabbed her hands.

"Easy Hel," Leslie mumbled softly, checking her pupils, they were dilated and feral. She took her stethoscope.

"I need a blood test."

"I got this." Barbara took a plastic bag from her pocket.

Leslie noticed a syringe inside. She took it and opened the bag carefully. She took the plastic container and sniffed.

"Amobarbital."

"Are you sure?"

"Her pupils, her slow heartbeat, it must be. Those are the side effects" Leslie took a bit of the chemical inside with her index finger and tasted it. She made a face. "Yes, it's bitter. Amobarbital is not on the market any more. It decreases input resistance, slows down activity of the brain and nervous system."

"I have heard about it," Alfred said, "it has both sedative and hypnotic properties, produces relaxation and drowsiness."

"Do you know how many dozes they gave her?" Leslie looked at Barbara.

"No… but it has to be at least five or six." Barbara said, worried. "And if her system works fast and they noticed the effects of the drug vanishing quickly, they could have given her eight or ten doses."

"Poor child…" Alfred shook his head.

Leslie nodded. "I must do some blood tests to check the toxicity in her blood."

"I have all the equipment here," the redhead said. "We can work now."

"I hope her metabolism burns off the chemical quickly," Leslie said, "and we must keep our eyes open. She could get a fever, have hallucinations, unusual tiredness or weakness, confusion, agitation, eye problems… It could make her feel frightened."

****************************

The man was laughing, she wanted run, but she couldn't. It was as if her feet were glued to the floor. The needle buried in her arm and she growled, annoyed, but he was strong, stronger than her. She was falling in a deep, dark hole. She saw the men fighting with Batgirl, she wanted to help, she wanted to move, but she couldn't.

That was when she saw a knife in his hand. She shouted at Barbara to watch out, but she didn't hear her. The man buried the knife in her midsection.

Helena yelled and cried out, trying to help her, but still she was glued to the floor. She saw her falling down.

"Barbara!" the girl cried, waking up abruptly. Disconcerted, she looked around, but everything was still blurry.

She was not dreaming, she was still in that place. She tried to stand up, but her legs failed and she fell to the floor, making a hard noise. In her fall, she knocked some objects off a table next to the bed. She was still under the drugs effect.

She heard then a door opening and two shadows. They were there, she had to run away. They were on her in a moment and she struggled in a panic, trying to escape. Someone hugged her for behind. She whimpered, frustrated.

"Helena… it's me, it's me…calm down," the voice said

They put her against the floor. She was desperate. Her feet were close the wall and she pushed back with her feet.

"Dammit!" a voice behind her grunted.

Helena kicked the air, struggling.

"Helena, it's me!" the voice behind her said.

"Let me go!" the teenager cried.

"It's Barbara." The redhead was having a hard time holding on to the girl.

"Let me go!"

"Helena, it's Barbara," Barbara was against the wall with her arms wrapped around the girl. "Focus on my voice, it's me, Barbara, calm down."

The girl was suddenly still, her breathing heavy.

"Yes, it's me… You're home…" Barbara said softly, slowly releasing her grip on the teen.

"Barbara?" the teenager mumbled, looking up. She couldn't focus on her.

"Hey…" the redhead smiled, gently brushing some hair from Helena's eyes. "Hi…"

"I can't see you…"

"Don't worry, it's the drugs, you will be better soon."

"You are safe." Helena wrapped her arms around her neck and hugged her.

"Yes, it's me…" Barbara patted her back. "It's okay."

"They wanted to hurt you."

"Usually bad guys want to do that, yes. I'm not as popular as I thought."

The teenager rested her head on her guardian's shoulder. "I feel sick."

"I know. It's the drug, Leslie already analyzed it. You will be okay, but need a bit of time to kick it off." She waved a hand toward Alfred, who was standing close to them. "Give me a hand to move her back to the bed again."

The old man bent down and helped the brunette to her feet.

"I'll bring her some warm milk." Alfred said, once they got Helena back on the bed.

"All right." The redhead sat close to the young girl, who hugged her waist and buried her head in her side when she felt her close.

Barbara brushed her hair. "Are you okay?"

The teenager nodded.

"Did they touch you?"

The girl shook her head.

Barbara stroked her hair softly. "I was so worried about you."

"They wanted to hurt you," Helena mumbled.

"I'm fine and you are fine..."

"Is she okay?" Leslie appeared in the doorway. "Alfred told me she is awake."

"Yes," Barbara nodded, "Just a nightmare."

"I don't want you to be hurt." Helena's voice seemed so small.

Barbara understood the girl was frightened about everything that had happened. "Hel, I'm fine, I'll never leave you alone." She squeezed her hand.

"Angel…"

The redhead smiled remembering Helena called her that when she was a child and she had helped her, not knowing she was Barbara.

The brunette closed her eyes. She felt safe and secure, surrounded by the familiar smell of Barbara's bedroom, her close warmth, the softness of the blankets. So very different than the cold, rough place where those men had her restrained the last couple of days.

"I'm sorry, Barbara," she said.

"You don't need to apologize for anything."

Helena didn't answer, she had fallen again asleep.

**TI BE CONTINUED**


	24. Future

**_Thanks D for your nice and lovely feedback. i hope you enjoy this one..._**

* * *

Leslie stood at the main door of the gym inside the ClockTower, just in time to see Barbara sweeping the floor with Helena. She winced, it surely hurt; she didn't understand the love of those women for rough sports.

The girl shook her head.

"Good move, but you were distracted," Barbara said, extending her hand to her. "You stopped my first blow, but forgot I have feet."

"You are like an octopus," the brunette growled, standing up and rubbing her back.

"You must focus on all the movements of your opponent," Barbara explained, taking a towel from a bench close to her. "We are done." She noticed the doctor was there. "Hey Leslie."

"You are mistreating my patient," the old woman said, stepping inside with her medical bag in hand.

"That's what I told her." Helena rubbed her back.

"Don't be silly." Barbara threw her a clean towel. She turned to the doctor. "I'm glad you could come to dinner, Leslie. You are early."

"Thanks for the invitation," she extended an envelope. "I have Helena's blood test, she is clean, but I wanted to check her anyway. Especially if you are bruising her more."

"Oh, come on, she hits harder than me." Barbara laughed.

"But I can never touch you," Helena protested.

Barbara patted her shoulder "You're a teenager. You have to fight. I'm an adult, so I get to win. You must learn. I'm going to go take a shower."

"Ha ha…" Helena rolled her eyes.

"How are you, Helena?" Leslie asked.

"Before Barbara kicked my ass, I was fine." The brunette sat on the bench wiping her sweat. "Where do we start?"

"Well, you wanted to learn." Leslie set her medical bag on the bench. "Let's see your eyes."

"Barbara has been teaching me, but I still can't win. She is fast."

"Well, you are too, you just need practice." Leslie took a small light and checked the brunette's pupils. "Well… your eyes seem okay… Follow the light. How have you been feeling?"

"Yesterday, I still felt kind of numb, today much better. Barbara said my reflexes are good."

Leslie checked Helena's pulse "We were very worried about you when you disappeared."

"I was stupid. I let them catch me."

"You didn't know."

Helena lowered her head, her voice almost a whisper. "They say they wanted to hurt Barbara."

Leslie sat close to her. "Do you love her?"

The teenager nodded.

"Helena, we love you too. She was sad when you were angry at her… and when she found out that you had been kidnapped, she was desperate. She wanted you back. Barbara loves you, she worries about you so much that sometimes she feels guilty."

"Why guilty?"

"She thinks she has failed Selina and you," the doctor explained "She promised to take care of you and, until now, she was not sure that she was doing it well. She hasn't even had a pet before." The old doctor smiled at her "She is afraid she can't give you what you need." Leslie paused. "We didn't tell you about your dad because we were following your mother's wishes."

"I know now why my mother did it." Helena bit her lips and sighed, "Those men kidnapped me, thinking they could hurt Barbara."

"Batgirl," Leslie corrected. "I know all about her. Don't worry."

"Anyone could have used me to try to hurt my mom or him. I understand now."

"I'm glad you are not mad at us anymore."

"I'm sorry… " Helena mumbled. "I didn't know."

"It's okay, don't worry," Leslie smiled, "but always know that we want the best for you. We know we will never be your mom, but we want to be close to you. Now, let's finish this test on you."

The brunette laughed lightly. Leslie took her arm to test her blood pressure.

"Helena," Leslie asked, "I'm curious, why are you training with Barbara?"

"She says it's good for me to learn to defend myself and so that I can be a good crime-fighter."

The doctor arrested her movement, fixing her eyes on the brunette. "Excuse me?"

"She says I can be a good crime fighter."

The old woman's face hardened, she felt her blood boiling, she had never agreed with Bruce being Batman or Barbara being Batgirl. To her it was a risk, an unnecessary risk of their lives, and now Barbara was thinking about putting that child in danger? What the hell was she thinking?

"Leslie?" Helena asked, noticing she was staring at her, unmoving. "Something wrong?"

"No, no…" Leslie shook her head, "I was…. Just… What do you think about her idea?"

"Sounds cool. I like to fight," Helena responded, remembering that when she was hitting the bad guys, she was excited and it felt good. It was adrenaline. She avoided talking about that fact that she would hunt for her mother's killer, too. She knew that Leslie and Barbara hated the "killing" thing. "And I can learn to defend myself."

"Don't you think it would be dangerous?" Leslie removed the band on Helena's arm after taking her blood pressure.

"Maybe… But it makes it more exciting."

"Exciting?" Leslie blinked. "Do you find risking your life every night exciting?"

"We never know when life would end. It could be today or tomorrow." The teenager explained with a serious expression on her face, "It's not in your hands. Sometimes others make the decision for you."

For the first time in a very long time, Leslie didn't have the words to answer. She took a deep breath.

"Let me ask you again," Leslie said. "Is this what you want?"

Leslie felt a shiver down her back when she heard her answer.

"Yes."

* * *

Dinner had been pleasant and Helena had been in good mood, as had Barbara. At the end of the night, Helena had gone to bed and Leslie and the redhead talked in the living room over a warm cup of coffee. They were alone and just the soft sound of music from a CD player could be heard.

The old doctor thought it was the best moment for a talk.

"Barbara…" she said, playing with her fingers around her mug of coffee. "Do you think it's a good idea train the girl to be a crime fighter?"

"Helena is exceptional," the redhead explained, "she has great skills, she just needs to learn how to fight and defend herself."

Leslie took a deep breath and looked at her. "Why?"

"Why?"

"You know what being a crime fighter is, you know how rough it is. Why do you want to expose her to that life? She is just a kid!"

"Helena is half meta, it's hard for her to control her temper," Barbara sighed crossing her legs on the couch. "You know she could easily kill anyone with just a snap of her fingers. I want to train her because it means she will learn to control her temper, to know that killing is not to e taken lightly, to be responsible for her abilities and skills, and to use them with her head and not with her heart. Helena in the wrong hands would be a lethal weapon."

"You know I never agreed with Bruce being Batman or you being Batgirl."

"Yes, I know."

"He has been badly hurt, as have you… Helena will get hurt too. Why do you want that for her?"

Barbara shook her head and took a few seconds before answering. "It's difficult to explain, Leslie. This is just what we are, it's like a call that we can't deny and that helps us to save many lives."

"With a high cost."

"Helena could help to save so many lives, Leslie."

"You quit being Batgirl and now you push her into the hole?" Leslie asked, unable to prevent the irritation in her voice. "Explain that to me because I don't understand."

Barbara put her mug on the table next to her. "I quit being Batgirl after asking myself what I wanted to be. I discovered that I can be more useful through the Delphi. I can help other vigilantes by telling them what's happening, what's coming. I have been doing it for months now. I have saved many lives using the Delphi, being an Oracle for them."

"You are playing with many lives."

"No, I'm helping to save many lives."

"You are not God."

"I know that."

"What is wrong with you then?" Leslie stood up and paced.

"What do you want, Les?" green eyes narrowed. "That I let criminals control the city and just sit around watching them break the law, destroy lives and kill people like Helena's mother? I can't do that. My heart tells me it's wrong, if I can do something, I'll do it. This is like what you do, you work saving lives at the hospital. You can't quit."

"It's different." Leslie said.

"Why is it different?" Barbara leaned forward, toward Leslie.

"Because I don't use force against other people, because I don't risk my life or a teenager's life."

"I'm not risking anyone, I'm teaching her to not kill herself with her own anger, to use her skills, her talent, to not let her fall to the dark side. It's Helena's choice be a crime fighter or not when I finish training her."

"You are training her to be a crime fighter."

"I'm giving her techniques to survive," Barbara waved her hand. "Someday someone will discover who she is and I do not want her to be incapable of defended herself. Look at what happened a week ago. I want her ready to face anything. You know who she is and you know many people would enjoy killing her, just for being their daughter."

"She is just a child."

"I know!!" Barbara almost shouted. "It scares me what people would want to do to her! After I saw what those men did to her, I was totally convinced that the best thing is training her. I don't want to see her hurt by some criminal because she doesn't know how to protect herself."

Leslie angrily shook her head, this was insane. "You are wrong."

"Helena knows who her mother was," Barbara said. "Did you know she tried to be like her stealing?"

Leslie turned to face the redhead. "You told me."

"She is confused, she doesn't know who she is, what she wants to be. It cost me a lot to convince her that her mother quit that life because it was the wrong way. Helena is angry, Leslie, angry against the world. I'm teaching her to handle her temper; I don't want her hate to change her into something we have been fighting for years. Do you want that?"

The doctor stared at her in silence. In some ways Barbara was right, but she hated the idea of seeing Helena turning into a crime fighter like her father, like Barbara. That life was so violent and dangerous.

"I don't want to see her turned into Bruce -- a lonely person thinking only of revenge, of fighting, not taking care of his own life, not taking care of his own family, his own daughter. I'm sorry, Barbara, I can't agree with what are you doing." Leslie picked up her medical bag and walked toward the door.

The redhead watched her go in silence. Se crossed her arms, she didn't want to upset Leslie, she didn't the older woman to be mad at her, but she knew, somehow, this was the best way for Helena.

"I'm sorry, Les…"

"Me too…"

The young woman pinched the bridge of her nose, she didn't want Leslie to be upset, but this always happened every time they talked about crime fighting. This was a topic that they would never agree upon. And she felt bad for it.

Leslie stood up at the elevator in silence before turning to look at her. "Good dinner, I'm glad you didn't cook."

Barbara smiled. "Yeah, me too."

"Take care, Freckles."

"You too, Les."

* * *

**PRESENT**

"Since then, a strong bond developed between them," Alfred explained to Dinah. "Barbara is Helena's family; the person she most loves after her mom, and Helena, for Miss Barbara, is her daughter, her best friend, her little sister… you see them arguing or fighting often, but sometimes it's a way to show each other their affection. They are not the kind of women who hug each other or say 'I love you'. They are quite overprotective of each other…"

"I noticed that." The blonde girl now understood so many things, like who Leslie is. She gazed toward the living room, where Helena still had her head buried in her hands, as she sat on a couch.

Alfred noticed it. "She is really frightened of losing her." He mumbled, "She never would say it, but Miss Barbara has been everything for her, she never quit on her and she rescued her from her pain and anger."

"Barbara is badly hurt, do you think she will be okay?" Dinah asked.

"I hope so. Leslie is a good doctor. She always keeps an eye on the ladies."

Leslie appeared in the living room, Helena stood up quickly.

"How is she?" she asked, walking toward the old octor.

Leslie smiled at the brunette and cupped her cheek, "Easy, she'll be fine. She is okay, the contusion on her head is not too bad, but she will be out of commission for a few weeks. She is not meta like you."

Helena closed her eyes, sighing in relief.

"You can go see her."

The young woman smiled, "Thanks, Les."

"I drugged her, but she will be okay, just a bit dazed." Leslie smiled, patting her arm.

Helena walked hurriedly toward the bedroom while Leslie went to the kitchen where Alfred and Dinah were standing. She waved her hands.

"She will be fine, don't worry," Leslie said, noticing their faces. "She took a hard beating and has some bruises and broken ribs, her arm is a sling, but she would survive, now give me some coffee." She removed her white doctor's robe and went to the sink to wash her hands.

"Do you want something for dinner?" Alfred asked gently.

"If you cooked, sure." She dried her hands with the towel that Alfred extended, as she noticed Dinah. "And you are?"

"Dinah… Dinah Redmond," the teen said, extending her hand.

"She helped us find Miss Barbara," Alfred explained.

"Thanks…" Leslie shook her hand. "Thanks so much.

"She is like Miss Helena," Alfred said, pouring coffee into a mug, "She has similar skills."

Leslie cocked her head. "Oh, interesting… What are your skills?"

Dinah brushed a tsrtand of hair behind her ear nervously, "I can read minds when I touch people…."

"Mmm… telepathic?" Leslie sat at the breakfast table.

"More or less…"

"Sit down," Leslie waved her hand toward a chair. "And what are you doing here?"

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	25. My new home

* * *

**Thanks so much for all your feedback friends, it was very nice for my editor Nightstalker and me. We are happy you all had enjoyed this fic as much we did writting it.**

**Here is the last part...**

**Jag  
**

* * *

Helena sat at Barbara's side, holding her hand. The redhead's face was bruised with some light cuts. She stared at her, feeling relieved that she would be okay. She was angry at the people who had done this to her.

The redhead stirred, wincing when she felt Helena's fingers pressing hers.

"Barbara?" the brunette asked expectantly.

Green eyes opened lightly. It took her a few seconds to focus. "Hel?"

"Hey…" the brunette smiled. "How do you feel?"

"Like shit." The redhead closed her eyes again.

"Hey, you never use bad words."

"I have never felt like I do now." The redhead noticed her arm was in a sling. "This sucks…."

"You will be fine…" Helena whispered.

Barbara smiled gently at her. "I'm tough, you know?" she grimaced.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm all sore."

"Don't drive drunk again," the brunette joked.

"I promise it, be sure of it." Barbara turned her head on the pillow and looked at the brunette. "Thanks."

"Hey, it was my turn to save your ass, you always save mine."

"My ass is worth it."

Helena laughed. "Be sure of it. But…"

"But?"

"If Dinah hadn't been there, I never would have found you."

"What?" the redhead mumbled.

Helena lowered her head. She knew how difficult this would be for Barbara. "It was Jackie."

"Jackie what?"

The young crime fighter sighed and fixed hr eyes on her "Jackie was involved in criminal activity in the foundation. When you stopped the powdered milk buy, her partners were mad. Seems there was too much money involved, so he kidnapped you."

"Are you crazy?" Barbara rubbed her eyes and winced. Dammit, she really was sore.

"Dinah took Jackie's hand and saw it," Helena explained with a serious expression. "She also saw where they kept you restrained. I found you because of her."

Barbara closed her eyes and put her hand over her forehead "Jackie? How could she?"

"She is now in jail , the police picked up the henchmen I left tied up. I called Wayne Industries and asked the finance manager to check the movement of money and accounts in the Foundation. At first look, it seems she has been doing this for a long time."

Helena rested her head on Barbara's hand.

"Something wrong?" the redhead asked, noticed she was remarkably still.

"I was so worried about you," Helena whispered. "You scared the hell out of me. I thought I had lost you."

Barbara smirked. "Oh come on, I'm not that easy to get rid of. I still need keep an eye on you to prevent you from downloading movies on to the Delphi."

Helena lifted her head, giggling. They looked at each other in silence for long seconds.

"So…" Barbara said sleepily "We must thank Dinah?"

"I think so… but, you should rest now and you can talk with her tomorrow."

The redhead nodded lightly. "I think I'm going to say something I never thought I would say."

"What?"

"You are right, I'll talk with her tomorrow. I want to sleep."

Helena stood up and squeezed her hand again. "Rest."

"Hel?"

"Yes?"

"Be nice to her… don't put your plastic snake in her bed."

* * *

"All right, Oracle." Huntress looked down as she crouched over a cornice. Three floors below, some henchmen had broken into a jewelry store. "I'm ready."

We are ready, a voice said over the mic.

The brunette rolled her eyes. "All right, Dinah, we are ready."

You promised I could do this alone, Dinah said.

"I did?"

Yes, you did, Oracle interrupted.

"Great!" Helena said. "Before she came, the fight was equal, one against one, but now it's two against me. That is not fair."

Next time, think before you talk, Oracle advised.

"I was just trying to be nice, you told me to be nice."

And I'm very happy that you are finally being nice.

Not so much Dinah interrupted She ate my pizza last night.

Huntress, I told you not to eat her pizza, Oracle sighed, amused.

"Hey, I was hungry, no one waited for me after a long night of fighting against crime."

You said you didn't want pizza, Dinah said.

"Because I thought Alfred had my dinner ready, but he didn't cook." Helena growled.

Of course, he didn`t cook. It was his day off.

"And how was I supposed to know?"

It's the same day every week, Dinah answered in exasperation.

All right, mind on the mission… Dinah, go, Oracle instructed.

Cool, the blonde teenager said, happily.

"What about me?" Huntress asked.

Keep an eye on her, if she gets hurt, I'll kick your ass.

"Why?"

You are mentoring her, so do it well.

"All right." Huntress looked down and watched the blonde fight. She put her hand on her ear. "Kick them harder! You fight like a girl."

I am a girl, genius, Dinah grunted.

"Really?"

Huntress… Oracle warned.

"Ouch…" Helen winced when she saw a man connect a blow to Dinah jaw. "That hurt."

You are supposed to help her. Oracle said.

"I am helping. Maybe I can go to Macy's before I go back home."

Why?

"Dinah will need a lot of make up to cover the bruise on her face after the blow she just got."

You are so funny, Dinah growled, annoyed, after receive another hard blow. You should warn me!

"Okay, fifteen thugs to your right." Huntress frowned, looking at the next block. Several men were running towards Dinah, who had already had won the battle against the original men she was fighting.

What? the teenager exclaimed, surprised.

"Some friends of the thugs are joining the party," Huntress crossed her arms over the edge of the building. "Move it, Kid, you are in trouble."

Oh, damn.

Dinah extended her hand and pushed back the first two men who were running toward her. She turned and took an empty trash can, throwing it at the next men coming.

She kicked one of the thugs and he stumbled back against another.

Nice move. Huntress said.

"Shut up." The blonde growled, banging together the heads of two thugs.

One of the thugs hit her in her knee with a stick and she cried out, falling to the ground. Rolling over, she avoided a stick against her head. She stood up and jumped back. Some of them were circling her.

"Aren't you going to help?" she asked Huntress over the comms. She was scared that she couldn't handle so many men at the same time.

Why? The fun is just starting. the brunette answered, chuckling.

"Good evening." A voice was heard and, out of nowhere, a black shadow swooped threateningly to the ground.

"Oh shit!" one of the men shouted.

Dinah, amazed, saw a big bat falling on the men circling her. She blinked. The dark figure was like a hurricane, it began to hit and punch the criminals. The shadow rolled and, suddenly, was at her side.

"Need a hand?"

Dinah was surprised. It was her mentor dressed as a bat, with cape and cowl. She knew she had been Batgirl, but she never imagined seeing her in action. "Bar…?"

Batgirl, kid, Batgirl, remember to use code names. Huntress interrupted.

"Come on," the redhead said, smiling. "We have work to do."

Dinah smiled back and nodded. Batgirl jumped towards the thugs and knocked one out with a punch to the head. Dinah pushed back another one with her telekinesis.

After a few minutes of hard fighting, all the men where unconscious on the ground. Batgirl exhaled loudly.

"I missed this," she said.

They heard some claps nearby. Huntress was walking toward them.

"That was a good fight. Excellent."

"Where have you been?" Dinah asked annoyed.

"Mentoring you, I was guiding you from upstairs." The brunette pointed up with her index finger. "Oracle ordered me to do that."

"Luckily, Oracle sent me to keep an eye on you two," Batgirl said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Are you telling me that I am a bad mentor?" Huntress said, with mock offense.

"Let's put it this way-- I know you." Batgirl grinned.

"Hey, you two were having all the fun!" Huntress grinned. "And it was nice to see you fighting again. You are pretty cool."

"Yes." The redhead said, looking at her costume, "I need to fix my costume. I told you it's pretty old. Some moves were hard to do."

Dinah narrowed her eyes and pointed at Huntress. "Did you know she was coming?"

"Of course, she wanted get some action." The young crime fighter explained, "Often she comes out to fight with me."

"I love being Oracle," Batgirl said, "but it's fun to go out sometimes and beat on the bad guys. It's always good to be in shape."

"When you were talking to us as Oracle, where were you?" Dinah asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Where was I?" the redhead asked.

"In this building," Huntress pointed behind. "She was in front of my building."

"Was a cool entrance, eh?" Batgirl said, lifting her fist.

"Nah… you are copying some of my techniques." Huntress shook her head.

"I'll kill you both! I almost peed in my pants when I saw all those men coming at me!" Dinah growled.

"What?" the brunette crossed her arms. "Do you think we are really going to leave you alone with no backup? Are you nuts?"

"You two suck!"

Batgirl patted the blonde's back. "Come on, Dinah, don't tell me it wasn't a good fight."

Dinah extend her hands. "My life flashed before my eyes! And you... and you, were there and you knew it!"

"Don't blame at me," Huntress said, looking at Barbara. "It was her idea."

"I just wanted to surprise you," Batgirl said. "I thought you would be happy to see us."

"You two are mischievous when you are together."

"What about a pizza now?" Batgirl asked. "As I recall, Huntress ate your last slice last night, Dinah."

"I was hungry. Alfred not was there," Huntress said.

"It was my pizza," Dinah protested.

"It was bad pizza, Dinah. Promise." Huntress shook her head. "Not good at all."

"Well, whatever, Ill buy." Batgirl walked toward the corner. "Do you want a ride on the bike, Dinah?"

"She said the magic words, let's go." The brunette rubbed her hands together, following them.

"The bike?" the blonde's eyes sparkled. "Yeah!!"

"Pepperoni," Huntress said.

"Salami." Dinah corrected.

"Ham and pineapple," Batgirl replied.

"That sucks." the girls protested.

"I'm buying, I choose… and besides… I'm the oldest superhero, remember?" The redhead glared at the brunette.

"Uh…" Huntress mumbled.

"I heard what you said to Dinah.".Batgirl put an arm around the blonde.

"I was joking."

"Ham and pineapple," Batgirl insisted.

"I protest," the brunette growled.

"You shut up." The redhead lifted her index finger in warning.

Dinah smiled, knowing she had found a new family.

**the end**


End file.
